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,EACE PERFECT PEACE 

Margaret Crawford Pmirmnn 









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PEACE PERFECT PEACE 


AN EARNEST APPEAL TO CHRISTIANS TO SO 
LIVE THAT THEY MAY ENJOY FULLY THE RICH 
BLESSINGS OF GOD. 


“ Thou wilt keep Him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed 
on thee because He trusted in thee,”—Isaiah 26:3. 


By Mrs. Margaret Crawford Pearson 


Hartford, Conn. 

THE S. S. SCRANTON CO. 
1924 



33V45QI 

T43 


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Copyright: 1924 
By 

M. C. PEARSON 



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APR 19 1324 

©C1A7S2173 


CONTENTS 


Chapters Page 

I. Things That Do Not Bring Peace. 7 

II. Spiritual Things Bring Peace. 12 

III. God The Father and Peace. 16 

IV. Jesus Christ and Peace. 21 

V. The Holy Ghost and Peace. 26 

VI. Bible Study and Peace... 31 

VII. Prayer and Peace. 36 

VIII. Faith and Peace. 42 

IX. Love and Peace. 47 

X. Service and Peace. 51 

XI. Consecration and Peace. 57 

XII. Peace Perfect Peace. 60 














To My Mother 

Mrs. Mary Whitesides Crawford. 


PREFACE 


Having seen so many Christians, who do not enjoy deep 
spiritual blessings, and who do not have their hearts filled with 
the joy and peace of God; but who were living as it were on 
skimmed milk while they might be feasting on the rich cream of 
God’s blessings; it has for a long time been my desire to be used 
by God, in helping others to live closer to Him, that they might 
enjoy more fully the blessings He has in store for them. So this 
little book is written, with a very earnest prayer that God may see 
fit to use it, and that He will bless it in such a way, that it will 
help others to consecrate themselves to Him, that they might enjoy 
the wonderful peace He wants to give each of His children. 
























































































































































































































































I. THINGS THAT DO NOT BRING PEACE 


How many people, even Christians, can say I have peace, 
perfect peace? If they cannot they are missing some of the 
greatest blessings that God has in store for them. They are living 
beneath the clouds, while they might be enjoying the brightness 
of the noonday sun. Our hearts cry out for peace and happiness. 
One of the greatest desires of the human nature, is to have the 
heart and life filled with an enduring peace, a peace that no storm 
can destroy or take away. It is possible to have this peace. We 
will first mention some of the things that will not give this peace. 

The pleasures of the world, that so many are striving for, does 
not give peace. Eirst Timothy 5:6. “ But she that liveth in 

pleasure, is dead while she liveth.” James 5:6. “ Ye have lived 

in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished 
your hearts as in the day of slaughter.” Ecc. 2 : 1 . “ I said in my 
heart, go to now, I will prove thee with mirth; therefore enjoy 
pleasures: and behold this also is vanity.” Just enjoying the 
pleasures that this world affords, does not bring peace. We are 
told, that when the children of Israel wanted a king that they 
might he like other nations, God gave them their request; 
but He sent leanness into their souls. So getting their desire 
did not bring peace into their souls, hut rather leanness. This is 
the way with a great many people of today, they clamor for the 
things of the world, they want to be like others, they often get 
what they cry for; but they are not happy. “As you love your 
soul beware of the world: it has slain its thousands and ten 
thousands. What ruined Lot’s wife ? — the world. What ruined 
Achan ? — the world. What ruined Haman ? — the world. What 
ruined Judas?—'the world. What ruined Simon Magus? — the 
world. What ruined Demas ? — the world. ‘ What shall it profit 
a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul ? 9 ” 
“ Hunters dig pits in the earth, then cover them over, and place 
a bait near them to attract the prey, that they may venture 
upon the treacherous place and fall in. Thus the devil makes 
this world his vault, which he strews over with pleasures and 
delights; the way seems smooth hut it is slippery.” 


7 


8 


PEACE PERFECT PEACE 


Riches do not give peace. Riches are spoken of as being de¬ 
ceitful. Mark 4:19. “And the cares of this world and the de¬ 
ceitfulness of the riches, and the lusts of other things, entering in 
choke the word and it becomes unfruitful.” Prov. 23:4, 5. “ Labor 
not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom. Wilt thou set 
thine eyes on that which is not? For riches certainly make 
themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.” 
Matthew Henry says, “ There is a burden of care in getting 
riches, fear in keeping them, temptation in using them, sorrow 
in losing them, and a burden of account at last to be given up 
concerning them.” Jesus Christ did not have worldly riches, He 
was born in a stable, and for a number of years worked in a 
carpenters shop, He was often hungry and weary, Luke 9:58. 
“ The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests; but 
the Son of Man hath not where to lay his head.” Jesus’ example 
should be proof enough that our greatest happiness does not con¬ 
sist in the abundance of the things that we possess. We see also, 
that Christ’s followers were men that did not care for this world’s 
riches. Paul says in Phil. 3 : 7, 8. “ But what things were gained 
to me those I counted lost for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count 
all things but lost for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ 
Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, 
and do count them but dung that I may win Christ.” Matt. 
6:19-21. “ Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth where 
moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through 
and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where 
neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not 
break through nor steal: for where your treasure is there will 
your heart be also.” Jesus spoke of the dangers of riches in 
Mark 10:23-25. “ How hardly shall they that have riches 

enter into the kingdom of God! And the disciples were 
astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said 
unto them, children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches 
to enter into the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go 
through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the 
kingdom of God.” It is not the fact that a man has riches that 
keeps him from the kingdom of God, but the fact that he is 
trusting in the riches. It is very hard for a man who has riches 
not to set his heart on them and trust in them. Psalm 52:7. 
“ Lo this is the man that made not God his strength, but trusted 


THINGS THAT DO NOT BRING PEACE 


9 


in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his 
wickedness.” Psalm 62:10. “ Trust not in oppression, and be¬ 
come not vain in robbery; if riches increase set not your heart 
on them.” So few real rich men are converted, that it almost 
leads one to believe, that some men would have more religion 
and he happier, if they did not have so much money; for the 
more they trust in riches the farther they are getting away from 
real peace and happiness. A millionaire lay dying, and some 
one asked him what he would have sung, he replied sing u Come 
ye sinner poor and needy.” He felt like he needed more than his 
millions to bring peace and happiness in the hour of death. 
“ Riches are like beasts of burden carrying treasures all day long 
and at the night of death unladen they carry to their graves 
only the bruises and marks of their toil.” A poor man on being 
told that a friend of his had been robbed of all he had lifted up 
his eyes to heaven and said “ Lord thou knowest where I have 
laid up my treasure.” He had laid up his treasure where no 
one, not even death could rob him. Sometimes a poor man will 
have his heart set on riches just as much as a rich man, and will 
spend his life trying to accumulate them; hut he will fail to 
find true peace and happiness. If we spend our lifetime and 
energy just to get wealth for the sake of wealth; we have spent 
it for that which will not bring us the largest returns in souls 
satisfaction. Of course riches are very useful, when used aright, 
when we transmute them into life, and use them for the ad¬ 
vancement of God’s kingdom, for money is a channel, through 
which we can render service to God. “ Make to yourselves friends 
by means of the mammon of unrighteousness that when it shall 
fail they may receive you into 11 everlasting habitations.” 

“ It is good to have money, 

And the things that money can buy, 

But it is good, too, to check up now and then 
And make sure you haven’t lost 
The things that money can’t buy.” 

Education, even, does not bring peace. A man may have the 
best education that colleges and universities can give, from the 
standpoint of the world, and still have his heart filled with un¬ 
rest and a longing for something else, a longing for something 
that the world cannot give. I think every man, every woman, 


10 


PEACE PERFECT PEACE 


and every child should strive to get the best education possible; 
but they should not forget God, no matter how well they are 
educated. An education is not essential to a life of peace and 
happiness, for those who are not wise in the things of the world 
may be filled with the peace of God. So do not think that be¬ 
cause you are not well educated, that you are denied these 
blessings. It is when we receive the spirit of God, and not the 
spirit of the world, that we enjoy these blessings. For God has 
hid these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them 
unto babes. I Cor. 1:25-27. “ Because the foolishness of God 
is wiser than man; and the weakness of God is stronger than 
Man. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to 
confound the things which are mighty.” 

The wicked do not have peace. Isaiah 48 :42. “ There is no 
peace saith the Lord to the wicked.” Paul speaking of the wicked 
in Rom. 3:17 says, “ The way of peace have they not known.” Isa. 
59:8. “The way of peace they have known not; and there is no 
judgment in their going; they have made them crooked paths; 
whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace.” It is sin that 
brings unrest, that darkens our lives and homes. It is sin that 
destroys the beauty of our character, and murders our souls. 
Instead of the sinner having peace he is miserable, for misery 
follows sin, and sin itself is misery. “ The soul that sinneth, it 
shall die.” “ The sting of death is sin.” “ Death hath passed 
upon all men for that all have sinned.” Sin is a universal 
fact, although an unpleasant fact. The scriptures speak of sin as 
lawlessness or rebellion. There is a definition in the Westminster 
Shorter Catechism which says: “ Sin is any want of conformity 
unto or transgression of the law of God.” Thos. Guthrie says:— 
“ Sin, sin, sin, thou art a hateful and horrible thing that abom¬ 
inable thing which God hates. And what wonder? Thou hast 
insulted His holy majesty; thou has bereaved Him of beloved 
children; thou has crucified the Son of His infinite love; thou 
hast vexed his gracious spirit; thou hast defied His power; thou 
hast depised His grace; and in the body and blood of Jesus, as 
if that was a common thing, thou hast trodden under foot His 
matchless mercy. Surely brethren, the wonder of wonders is that 
sin is not that abominable thing which we also hate.” Prov. 
14:13. “ Righteousness exalteth a nation; but sin is a reproach to 
any people.” Sin in every day language is failing to measure up 


THINGS THAT DO NOT BRING PEACE 


11 


to the best that is in us, and falling short of our high calling in 
Christ Jesus. Martin Luther says, “ Sin is essentually a de¬ 
parture from God.” If sin is a departure from God, it is im¬ 
possible for us to have peace until we get back to God. So we 
have this wonderful promise: 1. John 2:1. "If any man sin we 
have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; 
and He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only 
but also for the sins of the whole world.” Jesus is the friend 
that has atoned for our sins, and delivered us from the power 
of sin, and through Him we find peace and happiness. The 
prodigal son did not have peace and happiness when he was 
wasting his substance in riotous living; it was not until he re¬ 
turned unto his father, that he found peace and happiness. 

“No peace or lasting rest 

Earth’s flattering joys impart; 

The portion of a beast 
Will not content my heart. 

The God of spirits only can 
Fill up the vast desire of man.” 


11 


II. SPIRITUAL THINGS BRING PEACE. 


We have seen that it is not the things of the world, that bring 
a life of peace. It is when we separate ourselves from the things 
of the world, that we begin to enjoy this life of peace. First 
Cor. 15:36. “ That which thou soweth is not quickened except 
it die.” This is the law of nature, the body of the seed must 
perish in the ground, that it may be able to live, and produce 
a greater harvest, so the things of self and love for the world 
must die, that we may enjoy the greater blessings in Christ 
Jesus. Gal. 2:20. “I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I 
live: yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now 
live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who 
loved me and gave Himself for me.” Parting with the old 
means growth with the new. This change of heart can only be 
brought about by the new birth or conversion. Our hearts must 
be changed before they can become attuned to spiritual melodies. 
Our first duty is to come to Jesus that we might be born again. 
“ Conversion is the act of joining our hands to the pierced hands 
of the crucified Saviour; the new life begins with the taking of 
Christ’s hand, and His taking hold in infinite love of our weak 
hands.” D. L. Moody says, “A man to be converted has to give 
up his will, his ways, and his thoughts.” Every man or woman 
who comes to Christ must remember that they are breaking with 
their old master and working under a new master. “ Animals 
could not converse with men unless they had a rational nature 
put into them; nor can men converse with God until, being made 
new creatures, they partake of the divine nature. Communion 
with God is a mystery to most. Not every one that hangs about 
the king’s court doth speak with the king; only those who are 
near to him by a peculiar relationship are privileged.” 

A tiny babe has life, but it does not have a matured and useful 
life like a grown person. A babe would not be content to just 
have life, and always remain helpless, but it longs to grow and 
develop into a more and more useful life. So in the Christian 
life we should not be satisfied with the life, that becomes ours 
at the moment of the new birth; but should long and strive to 


12 


SPIRITUAL THINGS BRING PEACE 


13 


grow in spiritual things, just as a babe grows physically. Jesus 
says, in Jobn 10:10. “ I am come that they might have life 

and that they might have it more abundantly.” Jesus did not 
intend that his followers should he satisfied with just life, hut 
He wants them to have the more abundant life. When a babe 
does not grow physically we become uneasy about it, and begin 
consulting the physician; we try to find the reason and remedy 
the cause. While some Christians remain babes in Christ, for a 
number of years, and do not think seriously about it. They do 
not realize to be a dwarf in spiritual things is worse than to he 
a physical dwarf. First Peter 2:1-3. “ Wherefore laying aside 

all malice and guile and hypocrisies and envies, and all evil 
speaking, as new horn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word 
that he may grow thereby; if so be that ye have tasted that the 
Lord is gracious/’ We see the taking of God means the putting 
away of sin, and the more we appreciate God the more we will 
depreciate sin, and the things of the world. But this thing of 
laying aside or unlearning things is not an easy task. “Un¬ 
learning is the most difficult of all learning.” Paul tells how it 
can be done: “Col. 3: 8-10. “But now ye also put off all these; 
anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of 
your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off 
the old man with his deeds; and have put on the new man, 
which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that 
created him: where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision 
nor uncircumcision, Barbarian Sythian, bond nor free: but 
Christ is all and in all.” It is when by faith we put on the 
Lord Jesus Christ, and become clothed in His righteousness, His 
love, and His strength that we begin to lay aside or put off 
the things that are evil. When we have put on the new man, 
we can begin to put off the old man. And the more we learn of the 
new man, the more we will unlearn the things of the old man. 
Romans 6:11. “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead 
unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” 
The sins that are in the world, and that the Christian must come 
in contact with, should not get any more response from him 
than if he were a corpse. While he is compelled to see and hear 
sin, he cannot afford to respond to it, his whole life should stand 
out in opposition to that which is sinful. “ Christ is not sweet 
till sin be made bitter to us.” 


14 


PEACE PERFECT PEACE 


Matt. 5:48. “ Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father 

which is in heaven is perfect.” We should strive to be perfect, 
for unless we strive we will not reach anywhere. Seek that ye 
may excel. Paul says, Phil. 3:14, “ I press toward the mark 

for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” There 
is no termination without determination. We should not only 
wish for peace and happiness, but we should strive for those 
things that make for peace and happiness; we should make our 
back bone stronger than our wish bone. The world is full of 
wrecks, who, said great things could not be done, that certain 
heights could not be reached. So in the Christian life, there are 
many babes in Christ, because they say that certain heights in 
spiritual things cannot be reached. They are not willing to 
strive, and to pay the price of growing and becoming stronger, 
and enjoying more fully the blessings that are in store for them; 
but are willing to always remain a babe in Christ. When we 
undertake anything worth while, we are apt to find many 
obstacles in the way; but the more obstacles we overcome, the 
stronger we become. Every true Christian should have such a 
strong desire for great spiritual blessings, that they will be 
willing to make any sacrifice that these blessings might be ob¬ 
tained. “ It is not with a rush and a spring that we are to 
reach Christ character, and attain to perfect saintship; but step 
by step, foot by foot, hand over hand, we are slowly and often 
painfully to mount the ladder that rests on earth and rises to 
heaven.” The Christian life is like a warfare. Eph. 6:11. 
“ Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand 
against the wiles of the devil.” As soldiers of Christ the 
Ephesians were told to fight under the Lord’s banner against 
Satan, the world, and sin. They were not strong enough for the 
battle alone, so must be strong in the Lord, by depending on 
His mighty power for portection and help. We today are also 
unable in our own strength, to overcome our spiritual enemies; 
but God has provided a suit of armour for every child of His. 
By prayer and faith this armour can be put on every day, that 
we may be prepared for every conflict, that awaits us and resist 
every foe. 

The Christian life is compared to a race. Heb. 12:1, 2. “ Let 
us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset 
us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 


SPIRITUAL THINGS BRING PEACE 


15 


looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.” One 
who runs a race does not stand still, but makes progress. So the 
Christian should be continually making progress. Notice the race 
is set for us, God has already planned our race, we are not to 
choose our own course; but follow His plan. There is something 
vitally wrong with the Christian who is standing still, and not 
making any advances in his life. Are there not a good many 
Christians, that are so well satisfied where there are; that they 
have forgotten, that there is such a thing as moving forward? 
Christians should continue to ask themselves, have I advanced 
any today, and am I any farther on than I was a year ago, than 
I was five or ten years ago? Am I growing more Christ-like 
each day? Am I enjoying sweeter communion with Him than I 
did a year ago? Is my heart filled with a greater peace than it 
was five years ago? We are told how to make progress. By 
laying aside every weight and sin. We know that a person can 
run faster and with a great deal more ease, if they are not 
weighted down. The reason that a great many Christians do not 
make any more progress than they do, is because they are not 
willing to lay aside weights and sins, they are so heavily loaded 
that they cannot run very fast. We must lay aside every weight 
and every sin, no matter what it may be, if it hinders our prog¬ 
ress. This may mean parting with things we love, giving up 
things that have become dear to us, it may mean self denial on 
every side; but we need not expect to grow in the Christian life 
without some self sacrifice. For as we advance step by step in the 
Christian life, it means that we must continually give up things 
that belong to self. As our affections for heavenly things in¬ 
crease, our love for the things of this world must decrease; the 
more we learn to depend on His strength to help us advance the 
less we will depend on our own strength; and the more we 
work for Him, the less we will think of working for self. The 
laying aside these weights and sins is not an easy task, hut we 
are to look to Jesus, it is only by looking to Him that we are 
able to lay aside these things. We are not able in our own 
strength, but as we look to Him He will strengthen us. As our 
hearts are emptied of self, He will fill them with Himself, and 
things that seem so hard will become easy; and we will see that 
the laying aside the things of the old man, has enabled us to be¬ 
come more like the new man in Christ Jesus. And our hearts will 
then be filled with His joy and His Peace. “ For to be carnally 
minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” 


III. GOD THE FATHER AND PEACE. 


The soul cannot find rest and peace outside of the heavenly 
Father, God alone can give soul rest and peace that will be 
secure. First Tim. 3:16. “ Now the Lord of peace Himself give 
you peace, always by all means the Lord be with you all.” 1. 
Cor. 1:3. “Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father 
and from the Lord Jesus Christ.” The soul has an appetite 
for God, like the body for food. Sometimes this appetite is 
not so strong, because of sin; just as the physical appetite is not 
so strong, when there is something wrong with the body. When 
man is willing to put away sin, he will find his desire for God 
growing stronger and stronger. He will find that God will be¬ 
come, everything to him, as. the world and the things of the world 
become nothing. Psalm 42:1. “As the hart panteth after the 
waters brook, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul 
thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and 
appear before God ? ” One time a king and his men were cross¬ 
ing a desert in a caravan, their thirst became very great. All 
along the road there were skeletons of men, who had died of 
thirst. The men began to cry water, water, there is no water; 
everything looked hopeless as they viewed the skies, with the 
sun shining hot upon them. Then some one said we must let 
loose the harts, the light fleet harts, the harts being so keen in 
their instincts for water that a spring was soon found; and as 
they sat around the spring to rest and quench their thirst, the 
king took his tablet and wrote, “As the hart panteth after the 
waters brook so panteth my soul after Thee O God.” The fact that 
the soul cries out for God is evidence that God lives and loves. 

Psalm 103:13. “ Like as a father pitieth his children, so the 
Lord pitieth them that fear Him.” We know something of a 
father’s or a mother’s love for their children, and how they long 
to give them the best things in life; so does the Lord love His 
children and wants to give them the best things; th e things 
that will make for peace and happiness. If we fully realize that 
He gave us His only begotten Son; we will know that He loves 
us, and will not withhold anything that will be for our good and 


16 


GOD THE FATHER AND PEACE 


17 


His glory. Our heavenly Father wants us, He long for us to come to 
Him, just as a loving parent wants their wayward children to 
return to them. We may not always he able to see God’s love, 
as we are passing through trials, but He still loves us and will 
not forget us. Romans 8:28. “ And we know that all things 

work together for good to them that love God to them who are 
called according to His purpose.” We have a good illustration 
of the Father’s love in the parable of the prodigal son. The 
Father loves His child so much that He goes to meet him when 
he is a great way off, and has a feast prepared for him; and has 
the best robe put on him, and a ring put on his hand and shoes 
on his feet. So with our heavenly Father, He give the best that 
he has to his children when they come to Him. “ Christ reveals 
God as a father. In His first and last words Christ calls Him 
Father. As a father God thinks of us, loves us, works for us, cares 
for us, protects us, provides for us in the future. Father is the 
most endearing appellation in which He is made known to us. 
< I should have been an atheist said Randolph, had it not been 
for one recollection and that was when my mother used to take 
my hand in hers, and cause me on my knees to say ‘ Our Father 
which art in heaven’.’ I never fear said a little child when father 
is with me.” 

God is always near His children. Psalm 145:18. “ The 

Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon Him in truth.” Psalm 
125:2. “As the mountains are around about Jerusalem, so the 
Lord is around about His people, from henceforth even forever.” 
God is always near His people that He might help them, He 
knows the dangers and the trials that they must endure; but is 
always ready to help and deliver them from trial. We are often 
like the servant of Elisha. We cannot see Him and His heavenly 
host. 1. Kings. 6:18. “And Elisha prayed and said Lord, I 
pray Thee open his eyes that he may see. And the Lord opened 
the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the moun¬ 
tain was full of horses and chariots of fire around about Elisha.” 
So we need to pray that our spiritual eyes might be opened, so we 
can see God. Matthew. 5:8. “ Blessed are the pure in heart for 
they shall see God.” The reason we fail to see God is because 
sin has blinded our spiritual eyes. Psalm. 37:37. “ Mark the 

perfect man, and behold the upright for the end of that man is 
peace.” Psalm 34:8. “ O! taste and see that the Lord is 


18 PEACE PERFECT PEACE 

good; blessed is the man that trusteth in Him.” In order that 
we might find out something of the greatness and goodness of 
God, we must taste and see; no amount of dreaming of God will 
convince us that He is good. We must taste for ourselves, not 
just take some one else’s word; but to personally experiment with 
God. Be willing to give God a trial in our lives, just taste and see 
for ourselves; the more we will see of His goodness, the stronger 
our distaste will be for the things that are ungodly. We will 
see that the things of this world cannot give us peace and rest. 

“Would you be troubled, look within; 

Would you be distracted, look around; 

Would you be restful, look above. ” 

God is a jealous God. Exodus: 20:3. “Thou shalt have no 
other God before me.” We must remember that our God is a 
jealous God. If we are serving gods made out of material things, 
we are displeasing God, and we need not expect to receive great 
spiritual blessings, O! that we might see that it is more important 
to serve and worship the Creator, than the things created. Matt. 
6: 33. “ But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteous¬ 
ness and all these things shall be added unto you.” Let the 
longings of your hearts be for God, for His righteousness, and for 
a place in His kingdom. If our hearts are filled with that one 
great desire for God, then the cares and the worries of this world 
will vanish away; for we will realize that God will supply all of 
our needs: It is because we do not realize that God, and God 
alone is sufficient, to supply our every need, that we are burdened 
with cares. “ Cast thy burden upon the Lord and He shall sus¬ 
tain thee.” “ Man’s chief end in life is to glorify God, and en¬ 
joy Him forever.” 1 Sam. 2: 30. “ Them that honor Me I will 
honor, and they that despise Me shall be lightly esteemed.” The 
greater our faith in God and the more we trust in Him alone the 
more we honor Him. We honor God when we take everything 
to Him, no matter how small. We dishonor Him when we take 
things into our own hands, and make our own plans. 

“ He sendeth Sun, He sendeth Shower,— 

Alike they are needful to the flower; 

And joys and tears alike are sent 
To give the soul fit nourishment. 

As comes to me or cloud or sun, 

Eather! Thy will, not mine, be done.” 


GOD THE FATHER AND PEACE 


19 


The power of God. Psalm. 127:1. “ Except the Lord build 

the house they labor in vain that build it: except-the Lord keep 
the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.” We should realize 
that without God we can do nothing, that it is through Him we 
receive all blessings. A man may say, I earn my bread by the 
sweat of my brow. He may go into the field and plant his grain; 
hut can he make it grow by the sweat of his brow, or even if he 
sweats blood? Ho, unless God will send the rain and the sun¬ 
shine. So in our spiritual life we may toil and labor, but God 
must send the sunshine of His blessing before we can have 
peace. Psalm 84:11. “ The Lord God is a sun and shield; the 

Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold 
from them that walk uprightly.” The trouble with so many 
people is that they leave God out of everything. Men want to 
know what is wrong with business? You will find that business 
is wrong, because business men are leaving God out of account.. 
When we leave God out of anything it goes wrong. When an in¬ 
dividual leaves God out of their lives, their lives go wrong; they 
fail to find the greatest blessings. So with the nations that 
leaves God out of account, will not have peace and happiness. 
It is glorious when we fully realize, that the Lord God omni¬ 
potent reigneth. “ God is in His heaven, all is right with the 
world.” He watches above His own, ruling with love and al¬ 
mighty strength. He who clothes the grass and decks the flowers, 
and feeds the birds, will care for His children. Isaiah 40:11, 
12 , 15. “ He shall feed His flock like a shepherd; He shall 

gather the lambs with His arms, and carry them in His bosom, 
and shall gently lead those that are with young. Who hath 
measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, and meted out 
heaven with a span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in 
a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in 
a balance? Behold the nations are as a drop of a bucket and 
counted as the small dust of the balance; behold, He taketh up the 
isles as a very little thing.” A Christian sailor was on the sea 
during a storm, although he could not swim he was very calm 
and peaceful. When some one asked him why he was so calm he 
said: “ Though I sink I shall only drop into my Fathers hands; 
for he holds all these waters there.” As long as we are working 
for God, and doing His will, He will aid us. When we attempt 
to work for ourselves, doing our own will He sends failure. We 


20 


PEACE PERFECT PEACE 


should always realize that God and one man are a majority. 
Psalm 27:1, 2, 3. “ The Lord is my light and my salvation; 

whom shall I fear: The Lord is the strength of my life of whom 
shall I be afraid? When the wicked even my enemies came upon 
me to eat up my flesh they stumbled and fell. Though an host 
should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war 
should arise against me, in this will I be confident.” Psalm 
18: 6. “ The Lord is on my side I will not fear; what man can do 
unto me?” If we have God on our side we should feel that all is 
well, that we are safe with Him; no matter where He has placed us, 
for He will continue to watch over us. “ Uneasy lies the head of 
him who does not wear the crown, of righteousness; all the 
great of earth shall come to know at the last that God and one 
man are a majority.” God has the power to supply our need no 
matter what they may be. “ Do you feel that you have lost your 
way in life? Then God himself will show you your way. Are 
you utterly helpless, worn out body and soul? Then God’s 
eternal love is ready to help you and revive you. Are you 
wearied with doubts and terrors? Then God’s eternal light is 
ready to show you your way; God’s eternal peace is ready to 
give you peace. Do you feel yourself full of sins and faults? 
Then take heart; for God’s unchangeable will, is to take away 
those sins, and purge you from those faults.” The way God sup¬ 
plies all our needs is through Christ. II. Cor. 13:11. “But 
my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in 
glory by Christ Jesus.” 

“ In vain I seek for rest 
In all created good, 

It leaves me yet unblest, 

And makes me pant for God. 

And sure at rest I can not be, 

Until my heart find rest in Thee!” 


IY. JESUS CHRIST AND PEACE. 


The angels sang when announcing Jesus’s birth, “ Glory to 
God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” 
Luke 1:79. “To give light to them that set in darkness, and 
in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the ways of peace.” 
We see that Jesus’s mission in the world was one of peace. We 
cannot have peace with God except through Jesus Christ, He 
gave His life that through His blood we might be saved; that 
through His atonement our sins might he forgiven, and our peace 
made with God. “For out of Christ God is a consuming fire.” 
He not only came that we might have life, but more abundant 
life, that we might not only have peace with God, by having our 
sins forgiven; hut that our very life should he filled with peace 
just as His life was filled with peace. John 14:27. “Peace I 
leave with you, my peace I give unto you not as the world giveth 
give I unto you. Let not your heart he troubled, neither let it 
be afraid.” Jesus had peace and peace to spare, at this time, 
when he was facing the cross and it’s suffering; He knew that 
His disciples would forsake Him, there was no one to sympathize 
with Him, even the Father’s face was turned from Him, yet He 
said: “ My peace I give unto you.” Matthew Henry said: 
“ When Christ was about to leave the world, He made His will, 
His soul He committed to His Father, His body He bequeathed 
to Joseph to he decently intered: His clothes fell to the soldiers; 
His mother He left to the care of John; hut what should He 
leave His poor disciples who left all for Him? Silver and gold 
He had none; but He left them that which was infinitely better 
His peace.” Jesus not only died to make our peace with God; 
but He ever lives to make intercession for us. Is it not a wonder¬ 
ful thing to know that we have in heaven, one who loves us, one 
who ever liveth to make intercession for us? “We have not an 
high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our in¬ 
firmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet with¬ 
out sin.” 

There was not only absent from Jesus’s heart the enemies pf 
peace; avarice, ambition, anger, and pride; but there was present 


21 


22 


PEACE PERFECT PEACE 


in His heart the things that make for peace, the acceptance of 
the Father's will and obedience to the law of the spirit, and an 
attitude of soul which makes one superior to time and sense. 
This is the peace that Jesus gives His followers, a peace that will 
enable them to do the most humble service, or pass through the 
greatest trials, and still be above the cloud. This is the peace 
that the world needs. This is the peace that the individual is 
longing for. Jesus alone can give this peace, He can supply our 
every need. 

If it is life and peace we want, He can give it to us, for 
He says in John 11:25. “I am the resurrection and the life; 
he that believeth in Me though he were dead, yet shall he live." 
John 14:6. “I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man 
cometh unto the Father but by Me." If we will only come to 
Him, He will give us life; but there is no other way. John 
5:40. “ But ye will not come to me that ye might have life." 

All men need this spiritual life, no man's soul can be at peace 
without it. Jesus gives this peace to those that receive Him. 
We cannot have His peace without first receiving Him into our 
hearts, for where He is there will His peace be; it is impossible 
to separate His peace from His presence. If we by faith, love, 
and obedience take Him into our hearts, we will enjoy His 
presence and have His peace. A peace that no storm can break 
through and destroy. “ Peace may be ours in the midst of 
warfare and of storm, for Christ with us reconciles us to God, 
harmonises us with ourselves, brings us into amity with men and 
makes the world all good." “Not as the world giveth give I unto 
you." The world cannot give us peace, it may give us excite¬ 
ment for a time, but Christ alone can give us real peace. He 
said, “Let not your heart be troubled neither let it be afraid." 
There is much in the world to trouble us, and make us sad, but 
we must take everything to Him and all will be well. If we 
have Christ’s peace in our hearts we need not be troubled and 
afraid, for Christ had peace, when passing through trials, and He 
can give us peace in time of trouble. 

If we thirst He can give us drink. John 7:38. “If any 
man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink." There is nothing 
else that can satisfy our thirst like the water Jesus will give; 
there is no earthly well from which we can draw and quench 
our spiritual thirst. When Jesus was talking to the woman of 


JESUS CHRIST AND PEACE 


23 


Samaria at Jacob’s well, He said: “ Whosoever drinketh of this 
water shall thirst again, but whosoever drinketh of the water 
that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I 
shall give him, shall be in him a well of water springing up 
into everlasting life.” If we hunger He will give us food. John 
b: 48— 51, 57. “I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat 
manna in the wilderness and are dead. This is the bread which 
cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof and not 
die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if 
any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever: and the bread 
that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the 
world. As the living Father hath sent Me and I live by the 
Father so he that eateth Me, even he shall live by Me.” Matt. 
5:6. “ Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after 
righteousness for they shall be filled.” Just look into the twenty 
third Psalm and we will see how He feeds us. “ He maketh me 
to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me besides the still 
waters. He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of 
righteousness for His names sake.” “ Thou preparest a table 
before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my 
head with oil; my cup runneth over.” Our wants are more than 
supplied in Jesus, our “ cup runneth over.” 

If it is light and guidance we need , Jesus can direct us. 
John 8:12. “ I am the light of the world; he that followeth Me 
shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” He 
will give light to those who want light, no man need walk in 
darkness, if he is willing to follow the light of J esus. J ohn 3:19. 
“And this is the condemnation that light is come into the world, 
and men love darkness rather than light because their deeds were 
evil.” So the reason that so many walk in darkness, is because 
of sin in their life and their unwillingness to follow the light. 
Jesus says, “ I am the good shepherd.” He will guide us as a 
shepherd guides his sheep; even through the valley of the shadow 
of death. Jesus does not drive his followers, but goes before 
leading them on. If we will follow Him He will be our guide. 
He himself will travel with us, and we will be guided just as the 
children of Israel were guided, step by step across the wilderness 
to the promised land. The children of Israel were guided across 
the red sea when the mountains were on either side of them and 
Pharaohs army was to their back. If you have ever come to the 


24 


PEACE PERFECT PEACE 


red sea place in your life, when there seems to be no way out, no 
way back, and no way but through, then just trust Jesus to guide 
you through. 

“ Guide us love, peace, and grace! 

Guide us divinest light! 

Through all our work, and care and woe; 

Through all the dizzy joys we know, 

Through the dark valley where we go, 

Guide us love’s dearest light, 

Today, tonight.” 

If it is rest that we need Jesus can give us rest. Matt. 11:28, 
29. “ Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and 
I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of Me 
for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest unto 
your souls.” Notice that this invitation is to all to come, all that 
labor and are heavy laden, and does that not include every one? 
Tor where can you find a soul that does not have some burden; 
either burdened with sin, or burdened with the cares of the world ? 
But we need not carry these burdens on our own shoulders, for 
Jesus looked into the hearts of men and saw that they were 
burdened, that they were filled with sorrow and unrest; so He 
said, “ come unto Me,” and “ I will give you rest.” If we come 
to Him He will bear our burdens for us, and give us rest and 
peace. We are not only to come to Him that we might find rest; 
but He says, “ take my yoke upon you and learn of Me.” We 
are to submit to His will, to serve Him to learn of Him, and to 
imitate Him in such a way that our lives will be a copy of His 
life. We will find that we will have rest and peace if we come 
to him, and let Him bear our burdens, and let Him rule our 
lives. 

“ Best weary soul 
The penalty is borne, 

The ransom paid, 

For all thy sins full satisfaction made; 

Strive not to do thyself what Christ has done, 

Claim the free gift and make the joy thy own; 

No more pangs of guilt, 

Rest, sweetly rest.” 


JESUS CHRIST AND PEACE 


25 


“ If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and 
take up his cross and follow Me.” This is one of the conditions 
of discipleship. If we are to take Jesus and receive all His 
blessings, we must deny self, this does not mean what a great 
many people call self-denial, it means the dethroning of self, and 
putting Christ instead; it means saying no to self and yes to 
Christ. The more we deny self, and the more we live for Christ 
the greater our peace and happiness will he, for He is our peace. 
Matt. 28: 20. “ Lo I am with you always even to the end of the 
world.” Jesus never leaves His disciples alone, hut is always with 
them. It is as we have fellowship with Jesus, as we abide in 
Him, and allow Him to abide in us; as the branch abides in the 
vine, will we have the greatest peace. The presence of Jesus 
Christ in our hearts brings peace. Col. 3:11. “ Christ all in 

all.” “All we want in Christ we shall find in Christ. If we want 
little we shall find little. If we want much we shall find much; 
but if in our utter helplessness we cast our all on Christ He will 
be to us the whole treasure of God.” He is wisdom for our ignor¬ 
ance, He is strength for our weakness, and He is righteousness 
for our sins. 

You remember, when the disciples were crossing the sea and 
Jesus was asleep in the ship, there came a great storm and the 
disciples were afraid; so they >awoke Jesus and He said unto the 
sea, “peace be still,” and the wind ceased and there was a great 
calm. “ He said unto the disciples why are ye so fearful ? How 
is it that ye have no faith?” The disciples need not have been 
afraid. We need not be afraid, no matter what storms we are 
passing through, if Jesus is with us, and we have that faith 
which trusts in Him alone. If we have sorrow and tribulation, 
we are only receiving part of His legacy, and the rest which is 
peace will follow; for He said: “These things have I spoken 
unto you that in Me ye might have peace, in the world ye shall 
have tribulation, but be of good cheer I have overcome the world.” 

“ Come, to Him who made thy heart; 

Come weary and oppressed; 

To come to Jesus is thy part; 

His part to give thee rest.” 


Y. THE HOLY SPIRIT AND PEACE. 


Jesus knew that His disciples craved peace, and that men 
would always crave peace; so He said that He would send the 
Comforter, the Holy Spirit, that He might abide with them 
forever. John 14:16. “And I will pray the Father and He 
shall give you another comforter that He may abide with you 
forever.” John 16:7. “Nevertheless, I tell you the truth; it is 
expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away the Com-, 
forter will not come unto you; but if I depart Twill send Him unto 
you.” The Comforter was not sent unto the disciples alone, hut 
to be the Comforter for all time; for you remember when Peter 
was preaching, he said, “ For the promise is unto you and to 
your children and to all that are far off, even as many as the 
Lord Our God shall call.” The Comforter does not have any 
physical limitations, but can he everywhere at one time. The 
Comforter means more than just one to utter words of comfort 
to the sorrowing hearts. He is one who will guide, will strengthen, 
and will teach. Christ sent the Comforter to take His place, to 
not only stand by the side of believers, but to dwell in the hearts 
of every one who through faith, love, and obedience will receive 
Him. John 14:17. “ Even the Spirit of truth, whom the world 
cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him; 
hut ye know Him for He dwelleth with you and shall be in 
you.” Jesus knew the trials and the temptations that would be¬ 
fall His disciples; He knew they would he as lambs among 
wolves, and that they would not be strong enough to stand alone. 
So He promised to send the Comforter, the strengthener, one who 
would be strength for all their weakness; who would enable the 
dwarfs to become giants; who would be wisdom for their ignor¬ 
ance, enabling the foolish to become wise. 

It is the work of the Comforter to guide. John 16:13, 14. 
“Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide 
you into all truth; for He shall not speak of Himself; but what¬ 
soever He shall hear that shall He speak: and He will show 
you things to come. And He shall glorify Me for He shall re¬ 
ceive of Mine and show it unto you.” Jesus says “ I am the 


26 


THE HOLY SPIRIT AND PEACE 


27 


truth,” so when He says the Spirit will guide you into all truth, 
does He not mean that the Spirit will guide men to Him who is 
the truth? The work of the Spirit is to lead men to know and 
to understand more fully Jesus Christ and His work, “ For He 
shall receive of Mine and show it unto you.” The Spirit makes 
plain the things of Christ, interpreting the deep meanings of His 
words and deeds; those things that the human mind cannot 
grasp in its own strength. The Spirit not only leads men to 
Christ, but He glorifies Christ. 

The Holy Spirit is a teacher. John 14:26. “But the Com¬ 
forter which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in 
My name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to 
your rememberence, whatsoever I have said unto you.” The Holy 
Ghost is sent by God in Christ’s name, in this one verse we have 
mentioned the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; the office of 
the Holy Ghost is to teach of God the Father and of Christ the 
Son. The Holy Spirit is more than just an influence; “ He shall 
teach,” and He can be grieved by evil and sin. Eph. 4:30. 
“And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed 
unto the day of redemption.” The Holy Spirit teaches about 
Jesus Christ, His life and His work. Some men do not want to 
be taught by the Spirit; but would rather listen to the opinions 
and teachings of men, and thus they miss the great spiritual 
blessings that Christ has for them. With such a wonderful 
teacher as the Holy Spirit the most humble and uneducated 
Christian, can get a wonderful grasp of the knowledge of Christ; 
if they will only give themselves to the Spirit, to be taught. The 
disciples were poor uneducated men, but when they were filled 
with the Spirit they had wonderful knowledge and power. The 
more fully we give ourselves up to the teaching of the Spirit, the 
greater will be our knowledge of Christ, and the more we will 
enjoy His blessings. 

It is the work of the Spirit to convict men of sin. John 16: 8. 
“ And when He is come, He will reprove the world of ' sin, of 
righteousness and of judgment.” The Spirit convicts men of 
sin, He opens their eyes that they might see sin in all its black¬ 
ness and lead them to Jesus. A man must be willing to be 
separated from sin, before the Spirit can take possession of His 
heart; and reveal Jesus Christ in all His love and holiness. The 
heart must be made pure, in order to understand the things of 


28 


PEACE PERFECT PEACE 


the Spirit; no amount of wordly education, or self intellect, can 
reveal the things of the Spirit to a man’s heart. “ If any man 
wills to do His will he shall know of the doctrine.” A man must 
he willing to submit, to the teachings of the Spirit before the 
Spirit can teach him. A man must he convicted of sin, must 
see that there is sin in his life before he will feel that he needs 
the righteousness of Jesus Christ. A man that feels well and 
strong physically, does not care to have the treatment of a phy¬ 
sician ; it is when he feels that there is something wrong with his 
body that he sends for the physician. As long as a man is full 
of self-righteousness and conceit, as long as he is puffed up with 
his own righteousness; he does not see that he needs any other 
knowledge and righteousness, so closes the door of his heart, and 
misses the blessings he might receive. Ho man can call Jesus 
Lord but by the Holy Spirit; so when we close our hearts to the 
Holy Spirit we keep Jesus out of our lives. 

The Spirit not only convicts men of sin but enables men to 
overcome sin. Gal. 5:16—18. “ This I say then, walk in the 

Spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. For the flesh 
lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh and 
these are contrary the one to the other; so that ye cannot do the 
things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit ye are not 
under the law.” You have heard so many people say, they can¬ 
not give up certain sins, that they are not strong enough 
to overcome them; they cannot in their own strength; but by the 
help of the Spirit men may become victorious over every known 
sin. Eight here is where so many fail to grow in the Christian 
life, they try to grow and overcome sin in their own strength; it 
is when men give themselves up to the Spirit, that He enables 
them to overcome sin, and gives them strength to grow. 

Eph. 5:8. “But be filled with the Spirit.” It is the Spirit 
that makes the presence of Jesus Christ real to men. The reason 
so many do not enjoy the presence of Jesus Christ in their lives; 
is because they do not allow the Spirit to fill their hearts. Since 
the Holy Spirit came into the world, “It is now the same as 
though each soul had Jesus all to itself; delightful intercourse 
interpreting the reality of God to the reasonable creature. When 
a man becomes filled with the Spirit there is such .a change in his 
nature; that it is just as if another soul did dwell in the same 
body.” When the Comforter comes in and fills the heart, there 


THE HOLY SPIRIT AND PEACE 


29 


is no room in that heart for discomfort. If people are miserable 
and unhappy, it is a good sign that they have not received much 
of the Comforter, that their lives are not filled with Him. We 
can have much of Him in our lives, or we can have little of Him, 
just as we choose. We can fret and worry, and refuse to be 
comforted; hut there is no need of it, for He is offered freely to 
us, and we are commanded to be filled with Him. If we wish we 
can enrich our hearts by being filled with the Spirit and enjoy 
a life of peace and happiness. Right here lies the secret of a 
life of peace, the more completely we are filled with the Spirit, 
the greater our peace. This life of peace and happiness is the 
Spirit filled life. There is no other way to have lasting peace 
and real happiness in our lives; for it is only as we are filled 
with the Spirit that the presence of God the Father and Jesus 
Christ becomes real to us, and we are able to enjoy all the 
blessings that are in store for us. 

The Holy Spirit gives power for service. Acts 1:8. “ But 

ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost comes upon 
you; and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and all 
Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the 
earth.” We may not he having any power or joy in our service, 
we may have worked and labored hard; hut it has been a burden 
to us, and our work has been without results. It is just a waste 
of time and energy, for us to try to do the Lord’s work without 
the Lord’s instrument. Jesus told the disciples to wait until they 
were endued with power from on high. Luke 24:49. “And, bo- 
hold, I send the promise of My Father unto you: but tarry ye 
in the city of Jerusalem until ye he endued with power from on 
high.” We see what joy and what power the disciples had in 
their service after they received the Spirit. Before Peter was 
filled with the Spirit, he did not have the strength, and the power, 
to stand firm and acknowledge Jesus before a servant girl; after 
receiving the Spirit, he spoke to crowds and thousands were con¬ 
verted. Before the disciples were filled with the Spirit, they were 
selfish, each wishing a higher honor than the other; hut after 
they were filled with the Spirit, they became humble, each trying 
to render service unto God without thinking of self. The fires 
that were kindled at pentecost are still burning today; we may 
have the same power that the disciples had. If we are filled with 
the Spirit, we will find that there is joy in the most humble 
service, and we will find that God will bless our most humble ser- 


30 


PEACE PERFECT PEACE 


vice with power. If we are trying to do the Christian work with¬ 
out the Spirit; we are like a branch that is trying to bear fruit 
without being joined to the vine. Men like to make their own 
plans and carry out their own programs, and so often their plans 
fail and they are not able to carry out their programs, they then 
become discouraged and give up. We should always realize that 
God knows best, that He can plan more wisely than we. It is 
the work of the Holy Spirit to guide men in the way that God 
plans for him to go. “ God’s biddings are His enablings.” Often 
mens plans are selfish, and the Spirit leads men into unselfish 
plans, and into communion with God. In working with the Spirit 
man learns to see the hand of God in his broken plans, and in 
his sorrows. It is when our wills and plans are given up to the 
Holy Spirit, that He can make known unto us the will of God, 
and help us in doing His will. One mistake so many Christians 
make, is they do not wait to find out God’s will; but just rush 
on doing their own will, and of course must come to sorrow sooner 
or later. 

The fruit of the Spirit. Gal. 5:22.23. “ But the fruit of 
the Spirit is love, Joy, peace longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, 
faith, meekness, temperance; against such there is no law.” To 
be filled with the Spirit is to produce the fruit that Christ pro¬ 
duced. It is to have our life and character Christlike. There is 
more in a Christian life than simply beginning it; just as there is 
more in a garden than simply planting it. A garden must be 
cultivated in order that fruit may be produced, so in the Christian 
life. We can not produce the fruit of the Spirit, with out having 
the Spirit in our hearts, and without putting out of our hearts 
the things that hinder the growth of the Spirit. The Christian 
that bears the most fruit is the one that is the most completely 
filled with the Spirit. 

“ Within us, Lord, Thy Spirit place, 

Conveying health, and peace, and power; 

And let us daily grow in grace, 

That we may love and serve Thee more. 

Oh! may Thy Spirit seal our souls, 

And mould them to Thy will, 

That our weak hearts no more may stray, 

But keep Thy precepts still.” 


VI. BIBLE STUDY AND PEACE. 


If we want to know about God and His wondrous love, about 
Jesus and what he has done for us; and if we want to know how 
we may grow in our Christian life, we must study the Bible. 
“ The word of God which is contained in the scripture of the Old 
and New Testament is the only rule to direct us how we may 
glorify and enjoy Him.” We are told to “ Search the scriptures; 
for in them ye think ye have eternal life; and they are they 
which testify of Me” Notice we are told to search the scripture, 
not just read them as a pastime or in a careless way. The reason 
so many do not enjoy their religion, and do not find peace and 
happiness, is because they do not search for it in the word of 
God. Our growth in grace and our joy and peace is determined 
largely by the way we study God’s word. If we love the Bible, 
and love to study and meditate on its promises; our hearts will be 
filled with its blessed truths, and we will find ourselves becoming 
more like Him of whom the Bible teaches. “ The Bible is God’s 
chart for you to steer by, to keep you from the bottom of the 
sea, and to show you where the harbor is and how to reach it 
without running on rocks or bars.” In studying the Bible we 
will find what God will have us do in the world. 

The Bible is to the spiritual man what food is to the physical 
man. It is the bread of life to the soul. If we do not have an 
appetite for this food there is something wrong with our spiritual 
nature; and we are not growing spiritually, any more than the 
man is growing physically who does not have an appetite for 
food. We know that it is impossible for a child to grow strong 
and enjoy physical health who only takes a bite of food now 
and then. To grow strong physically one must take the proper 
nourishment and take it every day. We cannot take enough of 
food in one day to make us grow and give us strength for a week 
or more. Yet some people think by reading a few chapters in 
God’s word on the Sabbath day that it is all the spiritual food 
they need to keep them alive for a week, and to make them grow 
spiritually strong. But such is impossible. One must do more 
than that if he is to find peace and happiness and if he is to 


31 


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PEACE PERFECT PEACE 


make progress in his Christian life. A description of the happy 
man is found in the first Psalm. “ Blessed is the man that 
walketh not in the council of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way 
of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his de¬ 
light is in the law of the Lord; and in His law doth he meditate 
day and night.” Psalm 119:97. “O! how love I Thy law! It 
is my meditation all the day.” The reason some people are not 
more interested in the Bible is because they know so little about 
it. The more we know about the Bible the more we will want to 
know; our appetite for Bible study grows, as we feed it on the 
word. 

It is by reading and studying God’s word that we are able to 
know and overcome sin. II Tim. 3:16. “ All scripture is given 
by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, 
for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the man of 
God may be thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” Psalm 
119:11. “ Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not 

sin against Thee.” It is when we have the word of God hid in 
our heart that we are able to overcome temptation. You re¬ 
member that Jesus used the word of God when He was tempted 
in the wilderness. We may imagine that Jesus spent those forty 
days in communion with God, meditating upon His word and in 
prayer; so when the temptations came He was able to overcome 
them. If we spend much time meditating upon God’s holy word 
and in communing with Him, we also will be made strong and 
able to overcome sin. Psalm 119:105. “ Thy word is a lamp 
unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” It is by following the 
light that this lamp gives that we are able to see the way to 
walk, and to avoid the pitfall and snares of the evil one. There 
is no other book that can give us the light we need in traveling 
through this world of sin and darkness. We are but pilgrims, 
traveling through this world, and we need a chart or guide book, 
just as the man who travels from one part of the country to the 
other needs a chart or guide book to show him the right way. 

It is the nation that follows the light of the Bible teaching, 
that has the greatest peace and happiness. “Take a map of the 
world and draw a line separating the nations that receive the 
scripture from those that reject it, and you have divided be¬ 
tween civilization and barbarism, between poverty and prosperity, 
between selfishness and philanthropy, between freedom and op- 


BIBLE STUDY AND PEACE 


33 


pression, between darkness and light.” The Bible and progress 
go together, wherever the Bible goes you can easily see that 
nation making progress; so with the individual, the more he 
reads and studies the word of God, the more progress he will 
make. “ If you are ever tempted to speak or think lightly of it, 
just sit down and imagine what this world would be without it. 
Ho Bible! a wound and no cure, a storm and no covert, a con¬ 
demnation and no shrift, a lost eternity and no ransom! Alas 
for us if this were all; alas for us if the ladder of science were 
the only stair to lead us up to God.” 

In studying the word, we need to continually pray for divine 
guidance. Psalm 19:18. “ Open Thou mine eyes that I may 

behold wondrous things out of Thy law.” We need the Holy 
Spirit, the author of the book to guide us. “ To unconverted 
persons, much of the Bible resembles a letter written in cipher. 
The Spirit’s office is to act as God’s decipherer, by letting His 
people into the secret of those sweet mysteries of grace which 
were before as a garden shut up, or as a fountain sealed, or as 
a book written in an unknown character. It is the Spirit’s in¬ 
fluence that brings men to God, and leads them to yearn for 
something purer.” Let us think of the Bible as a letter from 
our heavenly Father. In it He tells us of His love, and the 
things He would have us know and do. If we would treat letters 
from our friends like we treat God’s letter they would become 
very much offended. Ho you not think, we are offending God 
when we neglect His letter to us? During the days of martyr¬ 
dom there was a young woman on her way to a secret meeting 
where the Bible was to be read. She was met by a band of 
persecutors. They asked her where she was going; she quietly 
answered, “ They are going to read my Father’s will (the Bible) 
and I am on my way to hear it read.” We should think of the 
Bible as our Father’s will to us. 

It takes time to study God’s word. We need not expect to 
know and',understand His word without work on our part, any 
more than we would expect to get a college education without 
study; or to gather a harvest without working the crop. Every 
Christian, must spend some time studying God’s word if he wishes 
to grow; if he is a true Christian, he will be glad to give some time 
studying his Father’s will. Of course some Christians have more 
time for Bible study than others, but every one should manage to 


34 


PEACE PERFECT PEACE 


spend some time in Bible study each day. When it is impossible 
to spend more than a few minutes, if those few minutes are spent 
in the spirit of prayer for divine guidance, God can wonderfully 
bless them. “ The Bible is a treasure. It contains enough to make 
us rich for time and eternity. It contains the secret of happy liv¬ 
ing. It contains the key of heaven. It contains the title deed of an 
inheritance incorruptible, and that fadeth not away. It contains 
the pearl of great price. Hay, in so far as it reveals them as 
a portion of us sinful worms, it contains the Saviour and the 
living God Himself.”—James Hamilton. 

God’s book never grows old; the books of men soon go out of 
date, but the Bible is like God Himself, “ the same yesterday, 
today and forever.” Spurgeon says, “ Many books in my library 
are now behind and beneath me. They were good in their way 
once, and so were the clothes that I wore when I was ten years 
old; but I have outgrown them. Hobody ever outgrows scripture; 
the book widens and deepens with our years.” Some people will 
say the Bible is dull; but the trouble is not with the Bible, for 
the Bible is never dull unless the reader is dull. It is the worldly 
spirit in our heart that shuts the book and makes it seem dull; 
but the Spirit of God in the heart makes the Bible open up, so 
that you may see deep meanings and glorious truths that you 
never knew were there. If you want the wisdom to understand 
the Bible, just ask God, for He hath promised to supply us with 
wisdom. James 1:5. “ If any of you lack wisdom let him ask 

of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and 
it shall be given him.” D. L. Moody says, “ I never saw a use¬ 
ful Christian who was not a student of the Bible. If a man 
neglects his Bible, he may pray and ask God to use him in His 
work; but God cannot make much use of him, for there is not 
much for the Holy Ghost to work upon.” 

You will not find much joy in studying the word of God, if 
you do not keep its commandments and follow its teachings. 
Psalm 119:33-35. “ Blessed are they that keep His testimonies, 
and that seek Him with the whole heart. Teach me, O Lord* 
the way of thy statutes, and I shall keep it to the end. Give me 
understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea I shall observe it 
with my whole heart. Make me to go in the path of thy com¬ 
mandments; for therein do I delight.” It is because the Psalmist 
was willing to follow the teaching of God’s word that he found 


BIBLE STUDY AND PEACE 


35 


so much joy and delight in studying it. He even said, “ It is 
good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy 
statutes. The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands 
of gold and silver.” If we are to find joy and peace in the 
word of God, we must obey its commandments; if it is to mean 
more unto us than health, gold and silver, we must follow its 
teachings. 

“ Upon thy word I rest, 

So strong, so sure; 

So full of comfort blest, 

So sweet, so pure — 

The word that changeth not, that faileth never; 

My King, I rest upon Thy word forever.” 


VII. PEAYEE AND PEACE. 


Our hearts long to have communion with God, so it is 
through prayer that we are able to have this desire fulfilled*, it 
is through prayer that our spirits can meet God, and we can 
make known our desires unto Him; it is through prayer that we 
can wait before Him that He may make his will known unto us. 
“ Prayer is the offering up of our desire unto God, for things 
agreeable to His will, in the name of Christ with confession of 
our sins, and thankful acknowledgment of His mercies.” James 
8:8. “ Draw nigh to God and He will draw nigh to you.” 

“ Keep near the fountain head, and with joy shall ye draw water 
out of the wells of salvation.” Prayer is to the spiritual man, 
what breathing is to the physical man; just as man cannot live 
physically without breathing, so he cannot live spiritually with¬ 
out praying. To be strong physically requires deep breathing; 
and to be spiritually strong requires earnest praying, and the 
laying hold upon God, the source of all spiritual strength. The 
breathing we did yesterday will not suffice for today, we must con¬ 
tinue to breathe every day or the physical life will die. So in 
the spiritual life we must continue to pray every day that we 
might have spiritual strength. 

Jesus says, Matthew 7:7. “Ask and it shall be given you, 
seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you: 
For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; 
and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” Notice the three 
terms ask, seek, knock. Ask is to make known our desires to 
God in Christ. We are very familiar with the little word ask; 
we are continually asking favors of our friends and loved ones; 
making our desires known unto them, so in prayer we are to ask, 
to make known our desires to God in Christ. What are those 
desires? Do we really pray that we may have more of the love 
of God in our heart and less of the love of the world? Do we 
pray that we might be stronger Christians, might become 
spiritual giants? Do we pray that our hearts might be filled with 
His peace? Or, do we desire these spiritual blessings enough to 
ask for them? For we are told to ask, and we shall receive. 


36 


PRAYER AND PEACE 


37 


You may grow in the Christian life just as much as you choose; 
you may have a fuller knowledge of God’s truth, closer com¬ 
munion with Him, and become more Christ-like if you desire and 
are willing to shape your actions according to your desire. Is 
it not pathetic to see Christians so weak when they might he so 
strong? Pathetic to see them standing in the dark shadows, 
when they might be enjoying the sunshine of His Grace. Pathetic 
to see them receiving so little, when so much has been prepared 
for them. James 4:2, 3. “ Ye have not because you ask not. 
Ye ask and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may con¬ 
sume it upon your lust.” Are these great spiritual blessings 
worth asking for, and learning to ask for aright? Are they not 
worth putting aside selfish motives, in order that we might re¬ 
ceive them? For true praying is not asking God to give us 
things for selfish motives; it is not asking God to do our will but 
asking that we might be made willing to do His will. It is not 
a desire to make God’s plan suit our plans; but a desire to 
know God’s plans and a willingness to follow them. Some peoples’ 
prayers are just about as selfish as the prayer of two little boys 
when coasting down a hill. The grade down an avenue was steep 
and the street had a dangerous curve. A man crossed the avenue 
at the top of the grade, and saw a little boy standing there with 
closed eyes; another little boy could be seen coasting down the 
hill on a sled near the dangerous portion of the curve. The man 
said, “ It seem to me you boys could find a safer place to coast.” 
The little boy opened his eyes and said, “You may have been 
the death of him. This is a risky hill but it is great fun and 
we’ve got a trick to make it safe. One of us coasts while the 
other stays at the top and prays.” Jesus says, in John 15:7, 
“ If ye abide in Me and My words abide in you, ye shall ask 
what ye will and it shall be done unto you.” Notice, if we abide 
in Christ, and His word abides in us, then we shall ask and 
receive. If we abide in Christ, we will ask for those things that 
are according to his will. “ The divine wisdom has given us 
prayer, not as a means whereby to obtain the good things of earth, 
but as a means whereby we learn to do without them; not as a 
means whereby we escape evil, but as a means whereby we be¬ 
come strong to meet it.” 

We should help answer our own prayers. “ Seek and ye shall 
find.” Mark 14:38. “Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into 


38 


PEACE PERFECT PEACE 


temptation.” Jeremiah 29:13. “And ye shall seek me and find 
Me when ye shall search for Me with all your hearts.” When 
we are told to seek in prayer, does it not mean that we are to 
help answer our own prayers? If we pray to be delivered from 
temptation, it is our duty to stay as far away from temptation 
as possible. If we pray to grow in our spiritual life it is our 
duty to study His word, to do His will; and use all the means 
that He has given us, to help us grow. If we want to be filled 
with more of His Spirit, and less of the spirit of the world, we 
should seek for Him with the whole heart, not having one eye on 
heavenly things and one on the things of the world, and not 
using one hand to grasp the spiritual things and the other hand 
to grasp the things of the world. When we are told to set our 
affections on things above, it does not mean just a part of our 
affections; but our whole heart. “For ye cannot serve God and 
mammon.” If we pray for the advancement of God’s kingdom, 
we should work and help to bring it about. If we are praying 
for the salvation of souls, we should do personal work and help 
save the souls for which we are praying. If we are to work and 
pray, we are to work just as hard as if all depended upon our 
work; and pray just as hard as if everything depended upon our 
prayers. Prayer is not intended to take the place of work; and 
work is not intended to take the place of prayer. If men spent 
as much time and energy trying to make progress in their 
spiritual lives, as they spend in trying to make progress in 
worldly things, the world would be full of spiritual giants. We 
should spend more time and energy in making spiritual progress 
than the average Christian spends, for the spiritual things are 
■of supreme importance. The value of the spiritual things to 
each individual is of more value to him than all the world. 

Perseverance in prayer. “ Knock and it shall be opened unto 
you.” “ Pray without ceasing.” “ Men ought to always pray and not 
to faint.” The Christian life should be one of continual prayer. 
Do you suppose that if a Christian was always praying that he 
would faint when trouble comes? But do you not think he would 
be strong enough to endure trouble when it comes? It is when 
men cease to pray, and have lost connection with their heavenly 
Father, who supplies them with strength to overcome, that they 
faint in time of trouble. We know when some pumps are used 
freely, that the water pours out easily because it is high; but 


PRAYER AND PEACE 


69 


if the pump has not been used for some time the water gets 
low r , and you have to pump a long time before the water will 
flow. This is the way with prayer, if we are instant with prayer, 
our desires and words are always ready; but if we neglect to 
pray, it is more difficult for us to pray, for the spiritual water 
in our heart is low. It is men who are the most faithful in 
their prayer life, that are the most certain to receive the blessings 
of prayer; the more we pray the less our burdens become. We 
will gain strength and courage to bear what seemed impossible. 
“ Trouble and sorrow drives us to prayer, and prayer drives away 
trouble and sorrow.” Somehow when things seem darkest if we 
will only continue to pray, the sun will shine. The more we 
pray the more peace and happiness we will have; if we pray 
little we will have little peace, if we pray much we will have great 
peace. 

Sin hinders prayer. Isaiah 59:1, 2. “ Behold the Lord’s 

hand is not shortened that it cannot save; neither is His ear 
heavy that he can not hear; but your sins have separated between 
you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, 
that He will not hear.” Prov. 15-29. “ The Lord is far from 

the wicked, but He hears the prayers of the righteous.” If we 
do not get joy and peace out of our prayer life; it is because 
there is sin in our lives. Sin separates us from God, and as long 
as we have known sins, and refuse to put then away, we need 
not expect to get much joy and peace out of our prayer life. 
If we spent more time in prayer we would spend less time 
grieving over our sin and mistakes. “ Prayer will make a man 
cease from sin, or sin will entice a man to cease from prayer.” 

In studying the life of Jesus we see that He spent a great 
deal of time in prayer, He even spent a whole night in prayer. 
We see how wonderfully God heard and answered His prayers. 
When He prayed at His baptism the Holy Spirit descended on 
Him; when He prayed at His transfiguration, “ The fashion of 
His countenance was altered, and His raiment was white and 
glistening.” He had strength to perform His miracles, He had 
strength even in His agonies and death. If we should follow 
His example and spend much time in prayer, we would have 
strength to overcome sin and would be given power in Christian 
service. The Spirit teaches us how to pray. Romans 8:26. 
“Likewise, the Spirit helpeth our infirmities; for we know not 


40 


PEACE PERFECT PEACE 


what things we should pray for as we ought; but the Spirit itself 
maketh intercessions for us with groanings that cannot be uttered.” 
We should depend on the Spirit to guide and direct us in our 
prayer life. 

There is peace and joy in prayer. Phil. 4:6, 7. “ Be care¬ 
ful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication 
with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God. 
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep 
your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” It is when we 
take everything to God in prayer, that we are filled with this 
wonderful peace that passeth all understanding. The more we 
unburden ourselves to Him, the more peace we will have. It is 
when we try to bear our own burdens and do not take them to 
Him in prayer that we are troubled and cast down. 

“ Any heart turned Godward feels more joy 
In one short hour of prayer, than e’er was raised, 

By all the feasts of earth since the foundation.” 

We see that the men of the Bible, who were praying men, were 
not only given strength in trouble but were filled with peace. We 
take Abraham — everything was well with him, even if he must 
give up his son on the altar. Daniel was a man of prayer, and 
when he was in the lions den he had more peace, and was happier 
than the king in his palace. When Paul and Silas were in prison 
they prayed and sang praises to God. When the apostles were 
being persecuted for preaching and teaching they were filled with 
peace. We also might have the same peace, if we take every¬ 
thing to God in prayer and depend on Him for strength. We 
may not understand how God can answer all our prayers, but 
he has told us to take everything to Him in prayer, and that 
He will give us His peace, so let’s take Him at His word, and 
take everything to Him in prayer. We cannot do His work 
without praying for His help. Luther when most pressed with his 
great work said: “I have so much to do that I cannot get on 
without three hours a day of praying.” Gen. Havelock arose at 
four if the hour for marching was six, rather than lose the precious 
hour of communion with God before setting out. Sir Matthew 
Hale says, “ If I omit praying and reading God’s word in the 
morning, nothing goes well all day.” Fenelon used to say, “ I 
spend much time in my closet in order to be prepared for the 


PRAYER AND PEACE 


41 


the pulpit.” We see why these men had such power in their 
Christian service, and why their lives were filled with peace even 
though they were passing through storms; it was because they 
spent much time in prayer. 

“We kneel, how weak; we arise, how full of power ! 

Why therefore should we do ourselves this wrong, 

Or others — that we are not always strong, 

That we are ever overborne with care, 

That we should ever weak or heartless be, 

Anxious or troubled, when with us is prayer, 

And joy and strength and courage are with Thee ! ” 


VIII. FAITH AND PEACE. 


Faith is believing, not seeing, and not feeling; and the faith 
that honors God is the faith that believes, when it cannot see, 
hear, or feel. “ Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the 
evidence of things not seen.” Faith is essential in the spiritual 
life. “ But without faith it is impossible to please Him; for 
he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is 
a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” It is faith in 
Jesus Christ that brings salvation, and enables us to live spirit¬ 
ually. John 3:36. “ He that believeth on the Son hath ever¬ 

lasting life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; 
but the wrath of God abideth on him.” John 20: 31. “ But these 
things are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, 
the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through 
His name.” When a miner is to be let down into a deep mine 
by a rope, he may say that he has faith in the rope, as well 
made and strong. But it is not until he takes hold of the rope 
and lets go of everything else, that he is believing in the rope, 
and trusting himself to the rope. Faith is not just simply a 
matter of opinion, it is an act. “ Saving faith is confidence in 
Jesus, a direct confidential transaction with Him.” 

Do we not want more than the life we receive at the new 
birth? Do we not want the more abundant life? If so, it may be 
ours by our having more faith. The faith that not only trusts God 
for our salvation; but the faith that trusts Him to keep us every 
day; the faith that trusts all to Him, and is willing to obey His 
every command. We should trust all to Him, not because we 
can see or feel, but because God says so. Matt. 9:29. “ Then 

touched He their eyes, saying according to your faith be it unto 
you.” Had the blind men not had faith their sight would not 
have been restored. Our spiritual blessings depend on our faith, 
if we have strong faith we may expect great spiritual blessings. 
“According to your faith be it unto you.” By faith Abraham 
went forth at God’s command not knowing where he was going. 
It is faith like Abraham’s that brings great spiritual blessings 
into our lives, faith that just follows God’s guidance, and does 


42 


FAITH AND PEACE 


43 


not depend on the knowledge of self. “Abraham did not know 
whither he went but he knew with whom he went.” Spurgeon 
said: “I would sooner walk in the dark and hold hard to the 
promise of my God, than trust in the light of the brightest day 
that ever dawned.” 

Faith kills fear. The man that does not have faith in God, 
as an allwise God, and as his God, is filled with fear. Psalm 
56:3, 11. “What time I am afraid I will trust in Thee. In 
God have I put my trust; I will not be afraid what man can 
do unto me.” The psalmist does not try to reason things out, and 
say that he is man enough to meet any trouble, and that he is 
strong enough to fight any foe; but he depends upon the power 
of God to help him through. He quietly says, what time I am 
afraid I will trust in God, after putting his trust in God he can 
be at peace. A man that does not have faith in his fellow men 
is miserable, he feels that they are not treating him just right, and 
that they always want to take the advantage of him. We are 
always uneasy if we cannot trust our fellow men, and we are 
more uneasy if we cannot trust God; but “ Blessed are all they 
that put their trust in Him.” 

“ What dost thou fear ? His wisdom reigns 
Supreme confessed; 

His power is infinite; His love 
The deepest, fondest dreams above, 

So trust and rest.” 

There must be obedience, if we are to receive the blessings 
that come by faith. Faith is not only trusting God to keep us, 
and direct us; but it is obeying Him, and following where He 
leads us. What good would it do us, if we had faith enough to 
go to a physician for treatment, if we refused to obey his orders? 
You immediately say that a physician can not do you any good 
if you refuse to follow his direction, and submit to his treat¬ 
ment. We need not expect to receive the spiritual blessing from 
God without obeying His orders, any more than we would expect 
to receive physical blessings from a physician, when we refuse 
to follow his orders. We not only want faith that believes Jesus 
is the Saviour, but we want the faith that takes Him for our own 
Saviour, and submits to His will, believing that He knows what 
is best for us. If we have faith like this, we need not worry and 


44 


PEACE PERFECT PEACE 


fret, for we can put ourselves in His hands, depending on Him 
instead of self; instead of making our own plans, just follow 
the plans God has for us. 

Faith in God enables us to endure trouble. Just before Jesus 
was to be crucified, and He knew that His disciples were to pass 
through great trials, He said unto them, “ Let not your heart be 
troubled, ye believe in God believe also in Me. In My Father’s 
house are many mansions; if it were not so I would have told 
you. I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go and prepare 
a place for you I will come again and receive you unto Myself; 
that where I am there ye may be also.” Jesus knew if His 
disciples believed in God, believed in Him, and believed that He 
was going to heaven to prepare a place for them, where they 
would always be with Him, that they could pass through the 
trials that were before them without being troubled. If we have 
faith in God, as an allwise God, as one who has allpower, and 
who is our loving heavenly Father, faith in Jesus as an all suf¬ 
ficient Saviour, and if we believe that He is in heaven preparing 
a place for us, we will be able to pass through trials without 
letting our hearts be troubled. It is because our faith is not 
strong enough that we allow ourselves to be troubled on every 
side. If we could fully realize that this earth is not our con¬ 
tinual abiding place, but that Jesus is preparing for us a place in 
heaven, where we are to spend eternity, we would not worry 
so much about accumulating the wealth of this world. We 
would not let our hearts be troubled with every misfortune that 
happens. If we could realize that heaven is to be our eternal 
home, we would spend more time laying up treasure there and 
less time trying to get the things that we will soon part with. 
If we just trust God and serve Him, we need not worry about the 
things of this world, for He will take care of us. Psalm 32:10. 
“ Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in 
the Lord, mercy shall compass him about.” When we take our 
troubles to God we put them in the grave, they cannot come 
back to us. If we take them to some one else they will come 
back. 

“ When obstacles and trials seem 
Like prison wall to be 
I do the little I can do 
And leave the rest to Thee.” 


FAITH AND PEACE 


45 


Faith brings peace and joy. Psalm 5:11. “But let all those 
that put their trust in Thee rejoice; let them ever shout for joy, 
because thou defendest them; let them also that love Thy name 
be joyful in Thee.” If we do not have faith we will not have 
peace and joy, if we have strong faith we will have great peace, 
the more faith the more completely we can rest. If our faith is 
great enough we can be content in poverty, we can have joy 
though we are in sorrow, we can have peace though we are passing 
through great trials. The reason so many Christians have so 
little peace and happiness in their lives is because they have so 
little faith. They ask so little from God, and of course expect 
little from Him; they do not have enough faith in God to ask 
great things of Him. “ Large asking and large expectations on 
our part honor God.” We dishonor God when we are content 
with so little when we might have so much, by just asking and 
trusting Him. If we trust the Lord for great blessings He will 
give them to us. We must also trust Him in little things or He 
will not be able to give us great things. Phil. 4:19. “ But my 

God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory 
by Christ Jesus.” Some one has said, “ God does not give us 
ready money. He issues promissory notes and then pays them 
when faith presents them at the throne. Each one of us has a 
check-book.” 

A man cannot have peace and rest, until he knows that there 
is nothing wrong between himself and God. “ He that believes 
has found the short sure road to joy and peace, because his re¬ 
lations are set right with God.” Rom. 5:1. “ Therefore being 

justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord 
Jesus Christ.” The joy and peace that comes through faith will 
fill our hearts as long as we are trusting and no longer, our faith 
of yesterday will not give us joy and peace today. We must 
always live in an attitude of trust in God, when we cease to 
trust God we no longer have joy and peace. Let us hold on to 
this peace, once we have it. Just as a man who has physical 
life, must continue to feed and exercise that life; so once we have 
peace with God through faith in Christ, let us feed that faith 
and use it. There are so many things in the world that are 
hostile to this peace, we must continually guard ourselves, and 
not let any sin, come between us and God, and not allow our wills 
to be in opposition to His will. We cannot have sweet communion 


46 


PEACE PERFECT PEACE 


with our Father if we are in rebellion against Him, and for the 
time being the consciousness of our peace with Him is destroyed. 
If we lose this peace with God there is no peace with ourselves, 
no peace with man. We can have no peace, unless in our con¬ 
science we can feel that we have peace with God. “ Joy in the 
Lord and peace with God are the parents of all joy and peace 
that are worthy of the name.” If we desire to be at rest, and 
to have the joy and peace that comes into our lives, when we can 
live without being disturbed by the storms of passion and enmity; 
and to have peace with our friends and our foes, we must see 
that there is nothing to interfere with out peace with God. “ Trust 
is peace.” “ In the world ye shall have tribulation, hut in Me ye 
shall have peace.” We may be in Him if we are willing to trust 
ourselves to Him. 

“ If thou couldst trust, poor soul, 

In Him who rules the whole, 

Thou wouldst find peace and rest; 

Wisdom and sight are well, but trust is best.” 


IX. LOVE AND PEACE. 


Love is at the root of the twin commandment, the first love to 
God, the second is like nnto it, love to man. Mark 12:39; 31, 
“And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and 
with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy 
strength; this is the first commandment. And the second is like, 
namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is 
none other greater than these.” To love God this way means more 
than a lip service, it means a service of obedience, it means to 
love Him with our hands, our feet, our purses, our time, and 
our whole life. John 14:23. “If a man love Me, he will keep 
My words; and My Eather will love him, and we will come unto 
him, and make our abode with him.” It is when we love Jesus 
that He manifests Himself to us and abides with us. It is love 
that brings Jesus into our lives, and enables us to have intimate 
and personal fellowship with Him. The more we love Him, the 
more He will abide with us, and the more of His love and 
His peace we will have in our hearts. The more love we have 
for Him, the more peace He will give us. To love God we 
must realize that He first loved us. John 3:16. “Eor God so 
loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that who¬ 
soever believeth in Him should not perish, hut have everlasting 
life.” We know God must have loved us or He would not have 
given His Son for us. 

There is a great deal of difference between our selfish love 
and Christ love, the love that Christ had for us when He gave 
Himself for us was a God-like love. John 15:9, “As the Father 
has loved Me so have I loved you.” This is love so great, that 
we cannot understand its heights and depths; yet we are com¬ 
manded to love that way. John 13:34, “A new commandment 
I give unto you, That ye love one another as I have loved you.” 
Christ’s love for His followers is so great that all who love Him 
may feel secure in His love. Rom. 8:35, 38, 39, “ Who shall 
separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or dis¬ 
tress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” 
“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life nor angels, 


47 


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PEACE PERFECT PEACE 


nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to 
come, nor heights, nor depths, nor any other creature, shall be 
able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus 
our Lord.” Do we realize how strong, how enduring, the love of 
God must be? We see how much easier it is to be separated 
from our earthly friends than from the love of God. Sometimes 
those we love are separated from us, because our opinions are 
different from theirs, or for some trivial matter. We are some¬ 
times separated because we do not always do the things they 
think we ought, or because be have made some mistake. Some¬ 
times we are separated from our friends and their love, because 
of jealousy, unless you are always petting some people like 
spoiled babies, you are not able to hold their love. Those whom 
you feel are your best friends today are possibly your worst 
enemies tomorrow, not so with God. He is the same yesterday, 
today and forever. Jesus says, “ I am with you always, even 
unto the end of the world.” We can always depend on Jesus 
Christ being with us, our friends may fail us in the time of 
need; but Jesus never. 

Jesus wants our love, our service, and gifts to Him would 
not count without love. “For the gift without the giver is bare.” 
You know how you feel if some one gives you a gift, or does you 
a kindness and you know they do not love you; but just for policy, 
or for pity’s sake, they show you kindness. You do not appreciate 
the kindness like you would if you knew the heart had been 
prompted by love. So with God He wants our love first; he then 
appreciates our service and gifts. The more we love God, and the 
more our love is like His love, the stronger we will love our 
friends, we will be able to love them, although we do not always 
agree with them. When we allow any trivial matter to separate 
us from the love of our friends, it is because we do not have 
much of the love of God in our hearts. “ The more we are like 
Him the more we will love.” If we love our neighbors as our¬ 
selves, there will be no trouble for us to keep the golden rule. 
If we love our neighbors as ourselves we will not criticize them, 
we will not make slight remarks about them, just to amuse our¬ 
selves or our friends. Having fun at some one else’s expense 
is not keeping the golden rule. A great many people who call 
themselves Christians, delight to talk about their neighbors, 
always looking for something to criticize. Christ reproved men 


LOVE AND PEACE 


49 


of sin, but he did not criticize and make fun of them, and if we 
are guilty of these things, we are not following in His foot-steps. 
We need to pray that our hearts will be so filled with His love 
that we will be able to love others. 

We are not only to love those that love us, but to love our 
enemies. Matt. 5: 44, “ But I say unto you love your enemies, 
bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and 
pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” 
Where love is there wdll not be envy, strife, jealousy, hatred; 
but there will be peace and joy. When love comes into our hearts 
hate goes out; just as light drives our darkness, so does love 
drive out hate, envy, jealousy. We are told to overcome evil 
with good. By developing the things that are good and lovely, 
the things that are evil will disappear. If we will do our enemies 
a kindness it will help us to love them, and it will help our 
enemies to love us. This is the love that passes understanding, 
and brings peace into the life of the Christian, and it is by such 
love as this that the world will know that we are His disciples. 
John 13 : 35, “ By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, 
if ye have love one to another.” Love is God’s way. “ Where 
love is God is, if we dwell in love we dwell in God, for God is 
love.” Therefore love the poor, love the rich, love your friends, 
and love your enemies. “ Love is the fulfilling of the law.” 

Paul tells us the value of love in I. Cor. the thirteenth chap¬ 
ter. Other gifts that we value will profit us nothing if we do 
not have love. He tells us some of the things that love will do. 
Love is patient, is kind, it does not envy, it is not full of self¬ 
pride, does not misbehave, is unselfish, is not quick tempered, 
it does not think evil, it does not rejoice in sin; but it rejoices 
in the truth, it beareth all things, hopeth all things, and endureth 
all things; Love never faileth.” “ It is the supreme gift.” 
Love does not impose upon its neighbors, it does not live for self 
alone; but lives for others as well as for self. When we love 
we do not think of the cost; but are willing to make a sacrifice, 
to help those we love.” “ Love is the greatest thing that God can 
give us, for He Himself is love; and it is the greatest thing 
that we can give to God, for it will also give ourselves, and carry 
with it all that is ours.” When we have received the love of 
Christ in our hearts, it transforms our lives, it enables us to go 
forward, to overcome sin, it gives us strength for our weakness. 


50 


PEACE PERFECT PEACE 


It is this true love that enables us to forget self, and as w& 
forget self we enjoy real peace and happiness; for there is no 
burden, there is no cross, where there is no self to carry it. 
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and every 
one that loveth is horn of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth 
not knoweth not God; for God is love.” Can we stand the test ? Do 
we love? “Lovest thou Me?” May we be able to say as Peter 
said, “ Lord, Thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love 
Thee.” 

How shall we test our love? 

How shall the real be known 
From that which takes its form? 

Love “ seeketh not her own.” 


X. SERVICE AND PEACE. 


Jesus came into the world to work, for He said, “ Even as 
the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, 
and give His life a ransom for many.” The Father works, for 
Jesus said, “ My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.” Should 
we not imitate Their example? Jesus said to His disciples, 
“ Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men.” One object 
in calling the disciples, and having them in His training school for 
three years, was that they might become fishers of men. They 
were not trained to make money, or to shine in society; but they 
were trained to serve, they were taught that the more service 
they could render the greater they would become. Jesus was 
happy when He could do something to help others, He found 
peace and joy in His work, so will we if we follow His ex¬ 
ample. The person that is happy is the one that is busy helping 
some one else to bear their burden, or bringing them to the great 
burden bearer. There are different kinds of work in the world; 
we are to give our time and energy for things that count, and 
not for things that perish. “ Lay not up for yourselves treasures 
upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves 
break through and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in 
heaven where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where 
thieves do not break through nor steal.” Labor for self and the 
things of the world does not bring us the peace and joy that we 
get from unselfish service. 

We each have a work to do. “No man is born into the world 
whose work is not born with him. There is always work, and 
tools to work withal, for those who will work.” God has given 
each of us a time to work, and we must not let the time pass 
without taking advantage of it. He is possibly awaiting our 
willingness to do certain work, in order to bless us and others. 
At the grave of Lazarus He waited for the friends to roll away 
the stone, before He raised Lazarus. There are so many stones 
in the way to hinder the progress of His work, and so few hands 
that are willing to help. Do you not think that the friends who 
help to roll away the stone, that Jesus might raise Lazarus, were 


51 



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PEACE PERFECT PEACE 


filled with joy when they saw him alive? So will the Christian 
today find great joy in his life, if he will help in the Lord’s work. 
We should not hesitate to spend our life in service to Him who 
gave His life for us. We get a wonderful lesson on service from 
the parable of the good Samaritan, and Jesus said unto the 
lawyer, “ Go, and do thou likewise.” Jesus expects His followers 
to comfort the sorrowing, to feed the hungry, and to help 
whenever they have an opportunity. 

God expects us to be faithful in using the talents He has 
given us. Notice just as the men were faithful in using there 
talents, so were there talents increased. If we are faithful in 
using the talents we have the Lord will bless us and give us 
greater things to do. If we are not faithful in doing little things 
we need not expect the Lord to give us great things to do. If 
children are not faithful in the little tasks given them, their 
parents do not trust them with larger and more responsible duties. 
“ He who is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in 
much.” The servants were rewarded according to there faith¬ 
fulness. So we will each be rewarded according to faithfulness, 
and not according to our success in the eyes of men. No matter 
how small or how few our talents may be if we have been faith¬ 
ful, we shall receive that commendation, “ Well done thou good 
and faithful servant, thou hast been faithful over a few things 
I will make thee ruler over many things; enter thou into the 
joy of thy Lord.” If we have been unfaithful, no matter how 
small our talents may have been; we will receive the condem¬ 
nation of the unfaithful servant. It is so easy to neglect our 
Christian duties, some feel that it is just the duty of the minis¬ 
ters and officers of the church to carry on the Christian work; 
but if we are a part of Christ we have some part in His work. 
Are we faithful in taking advantage of the oportunities we have 
of worshipping him. We who live in a land of Bibles and 
churches, have a great many opportunities, and we are respons¬ 
ible for the way we use the opportunities. Ho we realize that 
every time we have an opportunity to attend the services in 
God’s house and worship Him, and do not take advantage of it, 
that we are failing to measure up to our responsibility? Are 
we faithful in attending Sabbath school, either as teacher or 
pupil? God has given a great many of us the opportunity to 
attend Sabbath School, and He is going to hold us responsible 


SERVICE AND PEACE 


53 


for this opportunity. We notice that Jesus went to the Synagogue 
on the Sabbath as was His custom, we do not find a single in¬ 
stance in the life of Christ where we are told that He did not 
attend the Synagogue on account of the weather, or because of 
company, or for any other reason. If we do not want to attend 
church, we can find some excuse for staying away; but if we 
really want to go we will not let any trivial matter keep us 
away. Some do not attend church because they are careless and 
indifferent, others because they have been up late Saturday night, 
and would rather sleep, others would rather read the Sunday 
paper, and others do not go because they are too lazy to get 
ready and go. God expects us to give Him one day out of seven. 
Are we faithful in giving Him His day, or do we spend the 
whole seven days for self? 

God expected the Jews to give Him one-tenth of their income, 
He surely expects Christians to do as much or more. Yet there 
are a great many Christians who refuse to give God as much as 
one-tenth. They do not realize they owe God anything; but just 
feel like all they have belongs to them to do as they please with. 
Without God’s blessing we would not have anything. Unless 
He sent the sunshine and the rain, we could not make a grain 
of corn grow; unless He gave us strength of body and mind we 
could not make a dollar; unless He furnished us with fresh air 
every minute, we could not live. And after God has done so much 
for us we refuse to give Him as much as one-tenth of our income. 
God says in Mai. 3:10, 11, “ Bring ye all the tithes into the 
storehouse, that there may be meat in Mine house, and prove Me 
now herewith, saith the Lord of host, if I will not open the 
windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall 
not be room to receive it, and I will rebuke the devourer for 
your sake, and he shall not destroy the fruit of your ground; 
neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, 
saith the Lord of hosts.” Can we not take God at His word, just 
give Him the tenth, and trust Him to pour out His blessing upon 
us. Some will say they have so little, that they can not spare 
one-tenth; but He has said if we bring the tithe into the store 
house, He will bless us. God has power to bless us financially or 
to withhold the blessing. If we are unfaithful in giving God the 
tithe of a small income, do you suppose He could trust us to 
give Him the tithe of a large income? I believe one reason that 


54 


PEACE PERFECT PEACE 


so many of us are poor financially is because we refuse to give 
God bis own, and He withholds the blessings from us. Giving to 
God of our means is one way we can serve Him. 

We are partners with God. 1 Cor. 3:9, “For we are laborers 
together with God ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s build¬ 
ing.” Some will ask the question, can not God do His work with 
out men? God needs men, He is depending on men to help Him 
to carry His word into all parts of the world, men are God’s 
distributing agents. If we believe in Jesus Christ, it is our duty 
to help Him in spreading the good news, to help carry to others 
the blessings we enjoy. Notice we are fellow-workers with Him, 
He does not ask us to do His work alone; but we are to work 
with Him, and He with us, we are to be partners in the work. 
Is it not a great honor to work with Jesus? We cannot do the 
Lord’s work alone, the reason we so often fail in our work, is 
because we try to do it with out depending on God for help, and 
of ourselves we can do nothing. When some Christians are asked 
to do some special work they say they cannot do it, they cannot 
of their own strength; but they fail to realize, that whenever 
God has a work for them to do, He will work with them and give 
them strength to do the work. God never asks any of His 
children to work alone, and He never gives them work to do with 
out giving them strength to do the work, if they will depend on 
Him. If we could realize we are working together with God, we 
would not be so cold and indifferent toward the work of the 
church, we would not leave the saving of souls to someone else, 
we would not ask what is the least service I can do, and the 
smallest amount of money I can give and still pass? But we 
would be asking how much can I do, how much can I give? We 
would not get tired of hearing the church call for men to work, 
work, work, and the the call for money, money, money. It is 
because we have so little of the spirit of Christ in us, that we 
are so indifferent to His work, and that we pay so little heed to 
His last command, “ Go ye into all the world and preach the 
gospel to every creature.” “All power is given Me in heaven and 
in earth.” We have only to link ourselves with the source of all 
power in order that we might have power, for the power that 
Jesus has was not given for Himself alone; but that we through 
Him might have power. If we go to Him every time we need 
strength for service He will give us of His strength, and we will 


SERVICE AND PEACE 


55 


be able to go forward having power in our service. As the 
branch cannot bear fruit except it abide in the vine, no more can 
ve except we abide in Jesus, the vine. The secret of our fruit¬ 
bearing is our abiding in the vine. We are not trees, we cannot 
stand or bear fruit alone, we are only the branches. Just as the 
branch that is separated from the vine does not bear fruit, so we 
do not bear fruit when we are separated from Christ. “ The 
more we abide with Christ and the more we allow Him to abide 
in us the more fruit we will bear.” The branch will bear ac¬ 
cording to the sap it gets from the vine. We should not be con¬ 
tent to just bear a little fruit, but we should so abide in Christ 
that we will be able to bear much fruit. “ Herein is My Father 
glorified, that ye bear much fruit.” The greatest peace and joy 
come to us when we share our life with others. When we were told 
to abide in the vine, it meant that we were also to have fellowship 
with the branches, the more fellowship we have with branches 
the deeper we abide in the vine. The branch does not bear fruit 
for its self alone, neither should we; but our greatest joy and 
peace will come when we share the fruit with others. “ The 
fruit of Jesus’ tree is for cleansing, saving and redeeming.” Our 
most enduring peace comes, in our being channels to feed others. 
When we see those who are hungering and thirsting after 
righteousness, being filled, we receive a joy and peace that nothing 
else can give. “ Your salvation is His business; make His service 
your business and delight.” 

Jesus’ first command was come, His last command was go. 
After we have come to Jesus, our duty is to go tell others. You 
remember after Phillip came to Jesus, he went and found 
Nathaniel, after Andrew came to Jesus he went and found Peter. 
This is the way the Christian church began, the disciples did 
personal work. I am sure the disciples were filled with great 
joy and peace, as they brought others to Jesus, so will we if we 
bring others to Him. Some one asked Lyman Beecher, what he 
considered the greatest thing in the Christian religion, he said, 
“ Bringing men and women to Christ.” There is no other work 
in the world that can compare with the work of soul winning. 
There is nothing that can so fill the soul with such sweet satis¬ 
faction as leading a soul to Christ. One reason so many Christians 
do not experience joy in their life is because they have never 
won a soul for Christ. They have tried to serve themselves in- 




56 


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stead of helping others, a selfish person is a miserable person. 
Soul winning is the most fascinating work in the world. "Go 
and try to save a soul, and you will see how well it is worth saving, 
how capable it is of the most complete salvation. Not by pon¬ 
dering about it, nor by talking of it, but by saving it, you learn 
its preciousness.” It may seem a little thing for us to speak to 
some one about their soul; but it may mean a great deal to the 
one we speak to. “ It is more blessed to give than to receive.” 
“ Everyone wants happiness, but most people seek it by getting. 
It takes a long time to learn that it lies chiefly in giving.” 

“ Give me a faithful heart — 

Likeness to Thee, 

That each departing day 
Hence forth may see 
Some work of love begun, 

Some deed of kindness done, 

Some wanderer sought and won, 

Something for Thee.” 


XI. CONSECRATION AND PEACE. 


If we wish to enjoy the greatest blessings that are in store for 
us we must be willing to consecrate ourselves to Jesus, to sur¬ 
render ourselves into His hands. “Ye are not your own.” We 
belong to Jesus Christ for He has bought us with His blood; 
but He wants us to yield ourselves to Him, and to yield so com¬ 
pletely, that we will be able to say, “ I live, yet not I, but Christ 
liveth in me.” The consecrated life is the only life that will 
give us the peace and joy that our souls long for, our souls are 
blessed according to the completeness of our surrender to Jesus 
Christ. When we consecrate ourselves to God it means that we 
yield ourselves to Him, by the love of our hearts, and by the 
submission of our wills. When we do this we will certainly 
feel His presence in our lives, for He has promised to abide with 
us if we love and obey Him. Some will ask the question, how 
are we to know when we are consecrated? Faith comes before 
feeling, we are to give ourselves fully to God, and say, “ Thy 
will be done.” Just believe that He accepts that which we give 
Him, hold on to the promise by faith whether you feel or not. 
You may say, if I could just feel I would believe that I was con¬ 
secrated to Him. But if we could always feel we would not need 
faith, we are saved by faith, and we are consecrated by faith. 
We must believe before we feel, if we are to honor God by our 
faith. The minute we have entirely surrendered our lives to 
Him we just believe we are His, that He has taken us, and we 
keep on believing. We believe when we give ourselves to Him, 
that He will work in us according to the good pleasure of His 
will. 

When we completely surrender ourselves to Him, we must ask 
Him to reveal to us anything in our life that is contrary to His 
will, and we must be willing to give up the things that He reveals 
to us. We must be willing to say, “ Thy will be done,” con¬ 
cerning every trial, every temptation, and everything that we 
know is wrong. We are not able to give up these sins in our 
own strength; but we are to remember that Jesus has all power, 
and when we surrender our wills to Him, He will work in us by 


57 


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58 

His own power, and we will be able to overcome, not by our 
own strength, but by the power of the Spirit of God working 
in us. 

Just as we yield our wills to Him, is He able to carry out 
His will in us. Jesus has given all to us and He asks that we 
give all to Him, He wants us to give up everything that separates 
us from Him. He wants us to be willing for Him to rule and 
reign in our lives. We should not want to go any place, where 
He could not go with us, or to be engaged in any business that 
He could not have a part. We should strive to please Him and 
Him alone, allowing Him to have His way in everything. We 
should give our whole life to Him, our body, our minds, our time, 
and our talents. If we will do this our souls will become thrilled 
with a peace that we have never experienced before, and by and 
by we will be able to say, “ I delight to do Thy will.” “ * My 
will, not Thine be done/ turned Paradise into a desert. ‘ Thy 
will, not mine be done/ turned the desert into Paradise, and 
made Gethsemane the gate of heaven.” 

It is when we commit everything to Him that He sends His 
peace. If we allow worries and anxieties to stay in our hearts 
we will not have peace. Jesus says, “ My peace, I give unto 
you, let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” 
When trials come to us, we must not try to bear them alone, 
but commit them to him, and He will give us strength to bear 
them. Isa. 40:31, “ But they that wait upon the Lord shall 
renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as the 
eagle; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, 
and not faint.” If we wait on the Lord when trials come, and 
do not depend on our own strength, we will be able to get above 
tlie trials, we will “ Mount up with wings as the eagle.” As we 
do this, earthly trials will look very small to us. The higher we 
mount on these wings, the more important the things above will 
look, and the less important the things below. As we climb a 
high mountain, the things below look very small, so if we wait 
on the Lord we will be able to rise above these earthly trials, and 
they will seem very small. The reason these earthly trials seem 
so large is because we live on the same level with them; as we 
wait on the Lord, we will live in a higher atmosphere, and will 
be able to overcome every trial. As we continue to live in this 
high atmosphere we can feel the presence of God, and our hearts 


CONSECRATION AND PEACE 


59 


will be filled with peace, even when trouble comes. When we 
try to do things in our own strength we soon become tired; but 
if we wait on the Lord, we shall run and not be weary, we shall 
walk and not faint. Isa. 49:28, “ Hast thou not known, hast 
thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator 
of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? There 
is no searching of His understanding. He giveth power to the 
faint; and to them that have no might He increaseth strength.” 
One of the hardest things in the Christian life, is just doing 
cheerfully the little every-day task that falls to our lot. We 
become cross, tired, and discouraged with the work we are doing, 
we want to do big things, we want to make more progress; but 
if we will wait on the Lord, He will enable us to do cheerfully 
these little tasks. 

When we try to rule and govern our own lives, we cannot 
have peace because we are not in harmony with God and His 
will. It is only when we place ourselves in His hands to be 
governed by Him that He fills us with His peace, “ In Me ye 
shall have peace.” Just as we live and abide in Him, will we 
have peace. If we do our own will and get out of harmony 
wdth God we can not have peace. 

“ Take me, O my Father, take me, 

Take me, save me, through Thy Son; 

That which Thou wouldst have me, make me, 

Let Thy will in me be done. 

Long from Thee my footsteps straying, 

Thorny proved the way I trod; 

Weary come I now, and praying — 

Take me to Thy love, my God.” 


XII. PEACE, PERFECT PEACE. 


We are told how we might have “ Peace, Perfect Peace,” in 
Isa. 26:3. “ Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind 

is stayed on Thee; because he trusteth in Thee.” God does not 
promise to keep those in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on 
self, or whose mind is stayed on the world; but He has promised 
to keep in perfect peace, those whose mind is stayed on Him. 
The word mind here is interpreted by some as meaning thought 
or imagination. Rev. J. H. Johett, D. H. says the word mind 
in this verse, “ Denotes the thought which deals with the for¬ 
ward, misty things — the things which have not taken definite 
shape. It is thought which concerns itself with, “ What next,— 
and next? and next? With the succession which lies beyond the 
immediate day.” The thing that causes so much trouble and 
unrest in the human heart is just wondering what is going to 
happen in the future. How will I get along tomorrow ? What 
am I to do when trouble comes? We forget that God “is the 
same yesterday, today, and forever.” If we will keep our mind 
on God when we are thinking of the future, He will give us 
grace and strength for every need. If we are trusting in our 
own strength we need not he surprised that our life is filled with 
trouble and unrest for the physical strength is weak and frail 
and will sooner or later fail us. Isa, 26:4. “ Trust ye in the 

Lord forever; for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.” 
It is when we trust the Lord, Who has everlasting strength that 
we can have peace. There are a great many things in the world 
to worry us; hut if we will just keep our minds on God, just 
think of His wondrous love, of His tender mercy, and of His 
everlasting strength, and trust Him, He has promised to keep us 
in perfect peace. A great many of our troubles are imaginary 
ones and if we will only look to God, they will disappear. It is 
only as we keep our minds stayed on God that we can keep it 
off things, that it ought not to be on and in perfect equilibrium. 

We see, if we are to have perfect peace, we must have our 
minds stayed on Him, and trust Him at all times and under all 
circumstances. The things we have read in former chapters, 


60 


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61 


lead us up to this perfect peace. First we must not trust in self, 
or the things of the world, for they will fail us every time. We 
are to trust in God. But how are we to keep our minds on God, 
and trust Him, unless we know Him? We must know Him as 
our Heavenly Father, and know that He is all powerful. We 
must know Him as He is revealed by Jesus Christ, and we must 
know Jesus as our Saviour, for this is the first step in trusting 
the Father. We must know God as He is revealed to us by the 
Holy Spirit, for the Holy Spirit is our teacher and guide, and 
we must he filled with Him if we are to know God. We must 
know God as He is revealed in His word, the Bible; the more 
we read the Bible, the more we will know of God, and the more 
we can have our mind on Him and trust Him. Then prayer is 
one way we become acquainted with God, for prayer is our 
talking to God, and we must continue in prayer, if we are to 
have our minds stayed on God. Then it is faith in God that 
enables us to keep our minds on Him and trust Him. If we love 
God it will not be hard for us to keep our minds on Him and 
trust Him, for we are always thinking of and trusting those we 
love. Then it is as we are working for and with God, that we 
learn to know and trust Him. Then lastly, it is when we are 
perfectly consecrated to God that He keeps us in perfect peace. 
Someone has said, “ Perfect obedience would he perfect happiness, 
if only we had perfect confidence in the power we were obeying.” 
So if we are to have perfect peace we must have a perfect trust 
in God, a faith that will never doubt Him; and perfect obedience, 
our lives must be perfectly consecrated to Him, we must not hold 
back one thing from Him. God wants us to trust everything to 
Him, we are willing to make a partial surrender to Him, and 
to trust Him to a certain extent; but God wants us to surrender 
all to Him. We just like to have our own way in some things, 
so refuse to trust God with everything; thus we miss the perfect 
peace that comes from a perfect surrender and a perfect trust. 
We will have peace according to our faith and obedience in His 
revealed will; if we will do our part, God will do His part and 
give us perfect peace. If we hold back anything from Him, or doubt 
Him in the least thing, we need not expect our peace to be per¬ 
fect; if we are generous in giving ourselves to Him, He will be 
generous in giving us His peace. We should surrender ourselves 
in His hand, just as the clay is in the hand of the potter. Let 


62 


PEACE PERFECT PEACE 


Him use us, mold and shape us just as He sees best. It is only 
when the clay is plastic in the hand of the potter, that he is 
able to make of it a perfect vessel, if the clay refuses to yield to 
the potter’s hand, the vessel is marred. So if we refuse to yield 
ourselves to the molding hands of God, we have marred our lives 
in the making, He cannot make of us a perfect vessel, neither 
can He give us perfect peace. If we will continue to yield our¬ 
selves to Him, following where He leads us, we will not have 
much time for making plans of our own. 

The reason Jesus’ life was so filled with peace, though He 
was passing through trials, was because He rendered perfect obedi¬ 
ence to His Father’s will. He was always in sweet communion with 
the Father, not for one instance did He allow anything on His 
part to come between Him and the Father. He rendered the 
Father perfect obedience, and thus was able to always abide in 
the Father’s love. He says, “ If ye keep My commandments, ye 
shall abide in My love; even as I have kept My Father’s com¬ 
mandments and abide in His love.” We see as we obey His com¬ 
mandments, and as our whole life is in harmony with His will, 
that we abide in His love. We cannot receive His joy and peace, 
unless we do His will. “ These things have I spoken unto you, 
that My joy might remain in you and that your joy might be full.” 
If we would that our joy might be full, we must so live that His 
joy will remain in us, it may mean self-sacrifice; but it will pay. 
“ Self-sacrifice at the bidding of Jesus Christ, is the recipe for 
the highest, the most exquisite, the most god-like gladness of 
which the human heart is capable.” If we would have perfect 
peace, we must render perfect obedience, and have perfect faith 
in a perfect God. “ Your imperfect possession of this peace is 
all your own fault.” It is because we do not always have our 
mind on God; and do not trust Him as we should. God has 
promised, and He has never yet failed to keep His promise, if 
we will do our part, God will do His part, and keep us in per¬ 
fect peace. “You may assuredly find perfect peace, if you are 
resolved to do that which your Lord has plainly required, and 


PEACE PERFECT PEACE 


63 


content that He should indeed require no more of you, than to 
do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with Him.” 

“ It is not that I feel less weak, hut Thou 
Wilt he my strength. It is not that I see 
Less sin, hut more of pardoning love in Thee, 

And all-sufficient grace. Enough, and now 
All fluttering thought is stilled; I only rest, 

And feel that Thou are near, and know that I am 
blest.” 




























































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